Celaena advances through the barrow field while Rowan watches, forcing herself to move slowly despite the wight lurking in the central mound. As Celaena nears the mound, the wight seems afraid of something else, and a painful ringing fills Celaena’s ears.

Celaena sees a beautiful, inhuman man with dark hair and an onyx torque near the barrow. Darkness engulfs Celaena, cutting off the field and trapping Celaena with a presence that smells of dust, carrion, and a memory Celaena cannot forget.

The darkness drags Celaena into visions of her worst memories. Celaena relives finding her parents murdered in their bed, then is thrust into the sight of Nehemia’s mutilated body. The creature touches Celaena, but Celaena strikes it and runs, breaking back into the real world.

Celaena reaches Rowan in terror, vomiting and collapsing. The trauma forces Celaena’s body into a rapid, agonizing shift between mortal and Fae forms, and Celaena feels her fire magic rising uncontrollably before losing consciousness.

Celaena wakes in the forest, filthy and ashamed, with Rowan nearby. Rowan declares that Celaena failed because Rowan ordered Celaena to face the wights, not lose control, but Rowan also admits the thing in the barrow field was not a wight and that Rowan has never encountered anything like it. Celaena refuses to explain beyond saying the creature dragged Celaena through memories no one should see.

Celaena insists on returning to Mistward, and Rowan finally leads Celaena back. Rowan directs Celaena to the female baths and orders Celaena to be in the kitchens at dawn, leaving Celaena to wash in silence after the ordeal.