As Fabién Voss’s Ironheart army arrives behind Gabriel’s forces, Gabriel rapidly divides the defenders. Lachlan and the silversaints move to cover the assault on the dún, while Angiss, Breandan, Brynne, and their fighters engage the Dyvok and Voss forces. Baptiste insists on going after Aaron despite Gabriel’s warning that only killing Nikita can free him, and Gabriel lets Baptiste go because Gabriel understands the compulsion to risk death for love.

Celene joins Gabriel and Phoebe on the ruined westwall and tells Gabriel that Dior is safe for the moment with Kiara. Celene and Gabriel briefly acknowledge the pain between them, then choose to fight together for Dior. Gabriel, Phoebe, and Celene use smoke, snow, and battle noise to flank the Ironheart Terrors, Alba and Aléne, who stand above the outer gatehouse directing the Voss troops with disciplined, deadly control.

Inside Dún Maergenn, Kiara leads Dior and Reyne toward escape, but Lilidh, Kane, and Prince intercept them in the Hall of Crowns. Lilidh sees through Kiara’s lie, and Kiara openly denounces her aunt as a coward and betrayer. Kiara hurls her maul into Lilidh, smashing the ancient vampire through the statue of the Nineswords, then survives Kane’s attack long enough to rip out his throat and kill him.

Outside, Nikita counters the silversaints by having the Aveléne prisoners slaughtered and their blood poured over the battlements, dulling the light of the silversaints’ aegis. Nikita and Aaron then tear through the attackers, killing several brothers, including Argyle, while Baptiste sees Aaron fighting at Nikita’s side. At the gatehouse, Alba and Aléne fight Gabriel, Phoebe, and Celene while invading their minds with the voices of grief, guilt, and shame.

Back in the Hall of Crowns, Prince attacks Reyne and Dior, but Dior kicks the wolf away and Reyne kills Prince with Niamh’s fallen sword. Kiara nearly reaches Lilidh to finish her, but a drop of blood wakes the Heartless. Lilidh uses her Whip to command Kiara to stop, kneel, and die, then tears Kiara’s head from her body.

As the wider battle collapses into chaos, Lachlan defeats and disarms Aaron on the battlements, but Baptiste tackles Aaron and both fall into the bailey before Lachlan can kill him. Nikita then lands before Lachlan. On the gatehouse, the Terrors’ taunts only unleash Gabriel’s fury: Gabriel begins boiling Alba’s blood, while Celene bites into Aléne and drinks from her. Before either fight fully resolves, a foulblood boy appears and speaks to Gabriel, revealing that Fabién is present through the corpse-like vessel.