Celene resumes the account at dawn outside Dún Maergenn. A fragment of her swarm remains with Dior in the dungeon, trying unsuccessfully to wake her after Isla’s beating, while Celene prepares her weapons outside the walls. Gabriel explains that the coming assault will be a massacre: the attackers must cross ditches, broken defenses, and artillery fire before reaching Nikita’s troops on the inner walls.

Before the charge, Phoebe offers Gabriel her blood without being asked. Gabriel drinks, gains a surge of strength, and resists the urge to take too much. The moment deepens their bond, and they share a farewell kiss before Phoebe rallies the Moonsthrone clans, turning their cry from vengeance against Dyvok toward hope in Dior as the Godling. Gabriel sees in Phoebe the figure of a reborn Stormbringer and joins the charge.

The assault begins under cannon fire, pepper shot, trebuchets, ballistae, smoke, snow, and thunder. Gabriel describes how the attackers use brief reload windows to advance, though many are torn apart. He searches the battlements for Baptiste, hoping to spare his friend from the slaughter that will follow once the duskdancers reach the wall.

Celene takes over the tale, describing how she reaches the wall ahead of many others. As defenders prepare to pour burning coals on her, fear freezes Celene with memories of Cairnhaem, but the men tipping the coals are attacked by their own comrades. Celene discovers Joaquin and other freed thralls forcing scorched soldiers to drink Ossian Black mixed with Dior’s blood, which Dior had secretly given Joaquin that morning. The liquor’s stench hid the blood, and the morning ration spreads Dior’s freedom-giving power through the defenders.

When Gabriel, Phoebe, Keylan, and the attackers climb onto the battlements, Celene and Gabriel stop them from slaughtering the newly freed soldiers. The wall becomes a place of stunned welcome rather than battle. Gabriel reunites with Baptiste, who has survived enslavement and insists on joining the fight to recover Aaron from Nikita. Gabriel warns that Aaron belongs to the Blackheart now, but Baptiste refuses to abandon him.

With the outer wall secured, Brynne urges the force onward toward Auldtunn, where the vampires gather and Dior remains captive. Gabriel offers the freed thralls the chance to leave, but Joaquin inspires them to fight for Dior because she risked herself to free them. Highlanders, moonsmaidens, duskdancers, and freed scorched unite under a cry for the Grail, and Gabriel leads the next charge into the city.