Saeris wakes to Archer announcing that Hayden is awake. Archer has recovered from the feeder attack because his fellow fire sprites donated brimstone to rebuild his body, though Fisher reminds Archer that he should not be working. Saeris is excited to see Hayden but worries that bringing the only other human in Yvelia into a realm full of rot, Fae politics, and danger may have put Hayden at greater risk than leaving him in Zilvaren.

In Cahlish’s south drawing room, Saeris finds Hayden alive but frightened and distant. Hayden tells Saeris that Madra has declared Saeris dead, framed Saeris as a loyal martyr murdered by Fae rebels, and used Saeris’s name to distribute extra food and water. The people of the Third reject the gifts and curse Saeris, while Elroy alone defends Saeris and is beaten for it.

Saeris realizes Hayden says Elroy believes Saeris is innocent rather than that Hayden knows it. Hayden admits he does not know whether Saeris betrayed anyone because Saeris kept him out of her work and because their household had more food and water than others. Furious, Saeris punches Hayden and explains that those supplies came from theft, risk, and sacrifice Saeris endured to keep Hayden alive. During the confrontation, Hayden notices something wrong with Saeris’s hand.

A new rune burns itself into Saeris’s skin: the rune for brimstone, twining around the quicksilver rune. After enduring the pain, Saeris retreats to Fisher’s bedroom and reads Edina’s book. Edina apologizes for secrecy, warns Saeris not to skip ahead, explains that the brimstone rune can be rejected with quicksilver, and says sealing brimstone to Saeris’s soul may help save Yvelia but will change Saeris and come at great cost.

Saeris continues reading for hours and learns that Alchemists can be corrupted by their powers and that some merged so completely with quicksilver that they became immensely powerful, prompting Belikon and others to eradicate the Alchimeran line. Fisher returns at dusk with Onyx and reports that Ren is missing. Ren warned the Gilarian Fae, but never reached the satyrs, Ballard, or Inishtar, leaving Fisher convinced Ren is in danger and unsure how to find him.