During the week after the drained bodies are found, no new victims appear and the creature leaves no trace. Celaena keeps thinking about the killings while Rowan shifts her training to precision: now that Celaena can shift on command, Rowan makes Celaena try to light single candles at the ruined temple of the Sun Goddess. Celaena repeatedly fails, releasing too much fire, damaging the ruins and nearby trees, and exhausting herself into constant hunger.

When the rain returns, Emrys resumes storytelling for the household. Celaena listens while working in the kitchen, then asks Emrys for stories about Queen Maeve because Celaena expects to face Maeve again and wants any useful knowledge. Emrys describes Maeve, Mora, and Mab; Maeve is portrayed as ancient, wild, ruthless, and powerful, a queen who could conquer far more than Doranelle if she wished. Celaena notices Rowan listening in hawk form and thinks uneasily about Rowan’s willing blood oath to Maeve.

As Emrys continues, Celaena sees what first appears to be a mountain cat crossing the rain-soaked grass, then realizes the creature is a Fae male shifting form. Rowan immediately shifts from hawk to male and greets the newcomer, Gavriel, with clear familiarity. Gavriel says he has been searching for Rowan for six weeks, and Rowan, already aware that something has happened, tells Gavriel to say what he needs and it will be done. Rowan then leaves with Gavriel without acknowledging Celaena, which unexpectedly hurts her.

Later, Celaena brings stew and bread to Rowan’s room, partly from curiosity and partly because Gavriel seems not to have eaten. Celaena finds Gavriel half-naked on Rowan’s worktable while Rowan tattoos Old Language words across Gavriel’s scarred chest and ribs. Rowan angrily orders Celaena out, and Celaena leaves embarrassed by having intruded on something private and pained by Rowan’s secrecy.

In the hallway, Rowan confronts Celaena, and Celaena’s hurt turns into anger. Celaena accuses Rowan of constantly reminding her of her worthlessness and admits that being left downstairs made her feel abandoned because she has no one left. Rowan responds with deliberate cruelty, saying Celaena is nothing to him and that Rowan does not care about her suffering. Celaena retreats in numb devastation, and the fragile inner light she had begun to recover goes out.