Saeris confirms that the Blood Court keeps its quicksilver pool in a sepulchre on a lower palace floor, validating the painful chatter she has been hearing through her runes. Kingfisher treats the discovery as useful because the pool lets them avoid a dangerous ride across the dead fields. Saeris creates relics from Taladaius’s chain, Lorreth’s signet ring, and a charm for Onyx, allowing the group to travel quickly back to Cahlish.

At Cahlish, Saeris finds a hunter-green velvet dress clearly made for her, but she chooses to keep wearing her fighting leathers. Kingfisher brings her to a prepared welcome dinner, where Renfis, Te Léna, Maynir, Lorreth, Archer, Danya, Iseabail, and Onyx greet her warmly. Their affection overwhelms Saeris because she feared that becoming half vampire and ruling Sanasroth might cost her these friendships.

Renfis hugs Saeris without disgust, relieving one of her deepest worries, while Lorreth is affectionate toward Saeris but openly hostile toward Iseabail because she is a witch. Iseabail refuses to explain the full reason for Lorreth’s hatred, saying Lorreth should tell Saeris himself. Te Léna explains that Everlayne remains asleep and cannot wake, but she hopes Saeris’s voice might help when Saeris visits Everlayne in the morning.

Danya greets Saeris stiffly and explains that her newly shorn hair resulted from being burned by a corpse during the feeder attack. Danya admits she is glad Saeris survived Gillethrye, partly for Kingfisher’s sake and partly because Alchemists are rare. Archer then formally seats Saeris at Kingfisher’s left and declares that, from now on, Saeris is Lady of Cahlish, adding another title to the burdens Saeris is still struggling to accept.

The dinner settles into a rare moment of peace, with the fire sprites eating alongside the household and Onyx scavenging dropped food. Carrion arrives late from the baths, smells strongly of recent pleasure, and immediately provokes Saeris and the others. Danya flirts with Carrion, alarming Saeris and Kingfisher, before Carrion jokes about not overshadowing Saeris and Kingfisher’s wedding.

The mention of a wedding excites Archer and Te Léna but makes Renfis and Lorreth uncomfortable. Kingfisher states that there will be no wedding because he and Saeris are already God-Bound and do not need a ceremony. Saeris feels relieved that she will not have to endure another public spectacle, but Kingfisher’s brief disappointment after her agreement suggests the subject is not as simple for him as he claims.