Manon, Dorian, the Thirteen, and the Crochans reach the clearing south of their intended Eyllwe rendezvous and find the human war band slaughtered. The delay caused by Manon’s earlier skirmish has cost the rebels everything, and the scene bears the unmistakable signs of an Ironteeth aerial attack. Bronwen and Una openly accuse Manon and the Thirteen of having trained the witches responsible, forcing Manon to confront the legacy of violence she once embraced.

Dorian offers to burn the dead, but Manon refuses. Instead, Manon kneels and begins digging a grave with her iron nails, soon joined by Asterin, Sorrel, Vesta, and the rest of the Thirteen. When a Crochan tries to help, Manon stops her and declares that only the Thirteen will bury the fallen, making the burial an act of responsibility and atonement.

While the Thirteen dig through the day, Dorian helps Bronwen and Glennis send warnings to Eyllwe’s king, queen, and princes. Returning messengers report that the southern Crochans have gone to Banjali to aid the royal family, and that Eyllwe’s rebels remain unbroken. Dorian understands the unspoken meaning: Eyllwe cannot spare soldiers for Terrasen, and after seeing the massacre, Dorian agrees that Eyllwe has already given too much.

That night, shaken by the mass grave and determined to stop Morath from causing more slaughter, Dorian slips away to summon guidance with Damaris and Wyrdmarks. Instead of Gavin, Kaltain Rompier appears. Dorian apologizes for failing to help Kaltain when she was imprisoned and taken to Morath, and Kaltain acknowledges her own ambitions while making clear that what Morath did to Kaltain was not her fault.

Kaltain confirms that the third Wyrdkey is at Morath, though Kaltain does not know exactly where Erawan keeps it. Kaltain warns Dorian to stay within the keep, move quickly, retrieve the key, and avoid trying to kill Erawan, because capture would mean another collar. When Dorian asks how Kaltain broke free, Kaltain tells him that Kaltain raged against the collar because Kaltain did not believe she deserved it, forcing Dorian to face his own guilt and fear.

After Kaltain vanishes, Dorian uses the truth Kaltain and Damaris have shown him to release the barriers around his shifting magic. Dorian declares that Dorian wants to be worthy of his friends, worthy of his kingdom, and happy, then successfully transforms into a raven. Manon witnesses the transformation from the trees, and when Dorian shifts back, Manon confronts Dorian for hiding the fact that Dorian intends to retrieve the third Wyrdkey.