Celaena crosses Rifthold in a cold rage after Chaol is abducted. Obeying the demand that she come alone but not unarmed, she covers herself in weapons, including Chaol’s sword, and approaches the warehouse through the rooftops rather than the front entrance.

From a neighboring roof, Celaena studies the kidnappers’ position: armed men guard the entrances, archers wait on the mezzanine, and Chaol is chained below, beaten and bleeding. Seeing him hurt drives Celaena fully into the assassin she once was, and she leaps through a second-story window, immediately killing or disabling archers before dropping into the main room.

From Chaol’s perspective, Celaena becomes a terrifying force of violence. Chaol struggles uselessly against his chains while Celaena uses the crowd to keep the remaining archers from firing safely, cuts through the men between them, and confronts the guard who had tormented Chaol. An elderly rebel tries to stop the fighting, warning that they have worse enemies, but Celaena refuses to yield.

The battle resumes when the guard attacks and more men rush in. An arrow meant for Celaena is intercepted by Archer, who is wearing the same robes as the rebels. This reveals that Archer is part of the group and has arranged the confrontation, but Archer’s injury and desperation slow Celaena’s rage enough for Archer to demand a chance to explain. Celaena orders Chaol unchained before listening.

Archer reveals that he and Nehemia have been leading the rebel movement in Rifthold for six months. According to Archer, Nehemia has been organizing forces for Terrasen and investigating the king’s larger plans while feeding the rebels information from the castle. Archer says the rebels kidnapped Chaol because they believed Chaol had been ordered to question Nehemia after learning of a threat against her life.

Chaol admits he knew of the anonymous threat to Nehemia but insists he was told only that the king would question her, not that he would do it himself. Archer explains that they discovered too late that the danger was not questioning at all and that Nehemia stayed in the castle to learn what the king suspected. Archer has sent men to help, but he believes they will arrive too late, leaving Celaena and Chaol with the horrifying implication that Nehemia is about to be killed.