On the roof of Celaena’s warehouse apartment, Aedion speaks with Ren Allsbrook while Ren recovers from the opium den attack. Ren thanks Aedion for killing to protect him and hiding him, but Aedion is troubled that Ren and Murtaugh had been homeless and poor without telling him. Their guarded exchange softens when Ren admits fear that, after years of poverty and violence, he may no longer be fit to return to Terrasen or rule Allsbrook.

Aedion tells Ren that peace would be a strange transition for all of them and that Allsbrook’s people would likely honor a lord who suffered for Terrasen’s freedom. The conversation turns sharper when Ren questions what Aedion intends to do with Chaol Westfall once Chaol is no longer useful. Aedion answers that he will decide whether it is safe to leave Chaol alive, revealing the ruthless way Aedion thinks he must serve Aelin.

Ren presses Aedion about Aedion’s loyalty to Aelin and whether Aedion wants to be king beside Aelin. Aedion angrily insists that all he wants is Terrasen free, Aelin restored, and, above all, the chance to see Aelin alive again. Aedion leaves before Ren can push further.

Later, Aedion and Chaol meet in a packed Rifthold tavern full of soldiers. Aedion publicly presents Chaol as a drinking companion to hide their alliance in plain sight, then wins the room with a stirring toast. Chaol watches how completely soldiers worship Aedion and realizes why Aedion is dangerous: Aedion can make men believe he is one of them and that he would die for them. Chaol fears what might happen if Aedion and Aelin reunite and rally an army, because Chaol still thinks of Adarlan as his kingdom and is unsure where his loyalties now lie.

To find information about one suspected source of the anti-magic spell, Aedion turns the night into a contest for the soldier who has traveled farthest. Commander Jensen, recently released from five years at Noll, joins them and explains that his whole legion was suddenly withdrawn because unknown forces were replacing them. Jensen describes Noll as a dark volcanic outpost with a black stone tower, a cursed place where fumes caused headaches, nosebleeds, madness, and soldiers killed themselves by smashing their own skulls.

Chaol connects Jensen’s description to the headaches Celaena reported around the king’s magic and to the black clock tower in Rifthold. Jensen also mentions a similar tower at Amaroth, confirming three black towers—Noll, Amaroth, and Rifthold—arranged like an equilateral triangle. Chaol concludes that the towers must be tied to the spell blocking magic, but because testing the theory requires magic, Chaol realizes he needs Dorian despite having sworn to keep him out of danger.