As night falls at Cairnhaem, Gabriel, Celene, and Dior watch Voss’s force gather beyond the château bridge. Gabriel identifies the wretched as expendable shock troops and the armed thralls as the next wave, while noting that the Terrors are holding themselves back. Dior argues that the enemy wants her alive and that her presence may restrain them, but Gabriel, frightened by memories of Astrid and Patience and the threat of his own thirst, orders Dior to retreat.

Celene supports Dior’s desire to face what she is, accusing Gabriel of pride and wrath. When Dior realizes Gabriel is seeing her through the grief of his dead family and speaks their names, Gabriel strikes Dior across the face. In the prison-frame narration, Jean-François suggests Gabriel acted practically, but Gabriel condemns himself, saying that family is not always blood and that violence against a child cannot be excused as love.

Gabriel’s slap draws Dior’s blood and stirs both the Dead host and Gabriel’s own thirst. Gabriel forces Dior back inside Cairnhaem, then Alba and Aléne reveal themselves, taunting Gabriel with Fabién Voss’s greetings and the deaths of Gabriel’s wife and daughter. The Terrors attempt to break into Gabriel’s mind, but his aegis holds; Gabriel ignites the first barricade and prepares with Celene as the wretched charge.

Gabriel and Celene fight side by side through the barricades, cutting down waves of wretched as fire, silver, and blood magic slow the assault. The enemy flanks along the sides of the bridge, riflemen wound Gabriel, and the thralls advance, forcing Gabriel and Celene steadily backward. Gabriel reflects that battle is ultimately decided by numbers: no matter how skilled the defenders are, two fighters cannot hold a bridge forever against hundreds.

At the final barricade, Alba and Aléne enter the field unharmed and unafraid of the flames. Celene confronts them as Laure Voss’s last begotten child and exposes the mutilated face Laure left her, declaring that she intends to drink their heartsblood and reclaim what was taken from her. When the Terrors again tempt Gabriel with vengeance and threaten to finish the battle, Gabriel signals Phoebe, who attacks the riflemen from behind and silences the guns.

With the shooters disrupted, Gabriel and Celene flee into Cairnhaem, drawing the thralls and Terrors inside. They retreat up opposite staircases and fight to the mezzanine until Gabriel calls for Dior. Dior bursts from the great hearth on Pony, while Gabriel and Celene leap onto Bear, revealing the maneuver as a planned feint to pull the enemy out of position. As the three race back across the bridge toward escape, Kiara the Wolfmother ambushes them, smashing Pony’s head with a massive warmaul and hurling Dior from the saddle.