Kel lies unconscious in morphea and fever, dreaming that Mayesh, the royal family, Fausten, and scholars mark his body for cutting while Conor is handed the ceremonial blade Firefly and ordered to strike him. The nightmare blends sacrifice, loyalty, and fear, foreshadowing Kel’s anxiety about being used as Conor’s double.

Three days after saving Kel, Lin visits the market with Mariam, who is livelier than she has been in some time and eagerly questions Lin about Marivent and Prince Conor. Lin keeps Mayesh’s secrets about Kel’s role, the talisman, and the Crawlers, while also admitting she will not return to the Palace because Conor barred her. Lin then leaves Mariam to shop and takes Petrov’s strange stone to a jeweler, who identifies it as flawed quartz and sets it in a plain silver brooch.

While wandering the market, Lin enjoys the food, animals, and bookstalls, then pins the newly set stone to her dress. As Lin approaches Mariam near the Windtower, a young woman named Ji-An stops Lin and claims that the king wants to speak to Lin about Kel Saren and the remarkable healing. Lin assumes Ji-An means King Markus and secretly leaves Mariam behind, but during the carriage ride Ji-An reveals that she serves the Ragpicker King, not the king on the Hill. Ji-An also admits she brought Kel to the Palace gates after seeing his wounds, and Lin chooses not to flee because she wants answers.

Kel’s dreams continue with visions of Anjelica Iruvai, Merren, the Ragpicker King, and Kel himself standing in Conor’s place at the Convocat before being struck by an arrow. Kel wakes in pain, realizes he has been asleep for days, and remembers fragments of the Crawler attack, the arrow, Ji-An’s rescue, and Lin’s healing. Domna Delfina scolds Kel for touching his bandages and goes to fetch help.

Conor arrives relieved that Kel is awake, but Kel feels awkward because the attack has forced secrets between them. Kel lies about not knowing who brought him home, then tells Conor that Crawlers attacked because they mistook Kel for Conor and wanted money owed to Prosper Beck. Conor admits Beck has bought up ten thousand crowns’ worth of Conor’s debts and can legally force repayment through the Treasury, which would create a political scandal and raise questions about Conor’s fitness to be king.

Kel urges Conor to consider the danger and asks how Conor can pay, but Conor abruptly conceals his deeper worry and insists he will handle it. Although Conor jokes to restore their usual rhythm, Kel notices Conor’s shaken hands and realizes Conor is still hiding something. The chapter ends with Conor offering Kel pastisson despite Gasquet’s warning against mixing alcohol with morphea.