Chapter 18

Orion catches Briony in the kitchen with the Journal, taunting her about Sammy Meers and who let her roam. He escorts her back to her room and locks the door, reestablishing her vulnerability inside Hearst Hall. Briony fixates on the rebels near the Fadyen Mountains and the need to reach the library to solve her collar and brand.

Briony resumes a calculated hunger strike to force leverage. Toven arrives, scolds her, and pointedly feeds her a honeyed bun, then offers a deal: if she eats, she gets limited library time. Briony accepts ten minutes and enters the vast library.

While pretending to research protections and brands, Briony realizes that anything she reads could be extracted by Mallow, making her own mind a liability. Whispering a need for protection, she witnesses a book—Mind Barriers for Beginners—float to her. She hides it inside an agriculture slipcase and checks out with two decoy novels.

Back in her room, Briony devours the manual and begins nonmagical meditation techniques reminiscent of Finola’s cloaking lessons, aiming to shield her thoughts. Exhausted and emotional, she falls asleep after training.

In the night, Briony senses a presence; a shadow moves and a gray fox from the forest climbs onto her, growling. It pins her chest and bites deep into her neck, abruptly transforming her mental struggle into a dire physical threat.