After Talasyn and Alaric return to the masquerade, Talasyn is unusually happy and openly warmer toward Alaric. Alaric notices that she leans into him and clutches his sleeve, and he allows himself to reciprocate with a hand at her back, pleased that their private encounter has shifted her mood.

As the party winds down, Talasyn goes to the refreshment tables. Ralya Musal and Kai Gitab publicly praise Talasyn and Alaric for saving Aktamasok on the Night of the World-Eater, then pledge their houses’ support. Talasyn recognizes this as a meaningful political gain, especially because Gitab had previously sworn loyalty in private.

Talasyn is then surrounded by Jie, Niamha, Bairung, and Oryal, who tease her about Alaric’s attentiveness and speculate about whether the romance began in Chal. Their comments unsettle Talasyn because they strike close to the truth, but Talasyn insists to herself that her attraction to Alaric cannot become love, especially now that Vela has assigned Talasyn a mission tied to ending the hidden continuation of the Hurricane Wars.

Meanwhile, Alaric speaks awkwardly with Prince Elagbi and Rajan Wempuq before noticing Sevraim and Ileis enter the ballroom in disguise. The legionnaires tell Alaric that Regent Gaheris has ordered Alaric back to the Continent immediately: Sardovian guerrillas used the Moonless Dark to break into the Citadel, kill guards, and free all imprisoned comrades, aided by an informant who knew the prison layout. Alaric orders preparations to leave and sees the crisis as a way to avoid bringing Talasyn before Gaheris.

Before Alaric can say goodbye, Alaric realizes that objects outside the windows are not hailstones but ceramic shells. The shells explode through the ballroom windows, plunging the masquerade into panic as armed attackers climb in, fire crossbows, and bring down chandeliers. Alaric pushes through the stampede shouting Talasyn’s name, but a sariman nullification field cuts off Alaric’s Shadowgate, revealing that the attackers have somehow suppressed magic across the ballroom.

Talasyn hides Jie, Niamha, Oryal, and Bairung beneath a table, then loses the Lightweave to the same sariman effect while searching for Alaric and Elagbi. After being knocked down in the chaos, Talasyn kills an attacker with his own musket and heads toward Alaric’s Voidfell. Alaric evades volleys from assassins who are clearly hunting Alaric specifically, and Talasyn pulls Alaric into cover. They realize the sariman cages may be placed around the terrace and amplified, then argue over whether to shoot or stay hidden as attackers approach; Alaric says he has a plan.