Dorian visits Baba Yellowlegs at the carnival after another sleepless night, hoping the old witch can explain why he still has magic. He hides his identity and pays for discretion, but Baba Yellowlegs insists that magic is gone from Erilea and that no single person should be an exception. When Dorian presses hypothetically, she says the real answer may lie in discovering why magic vanished in the first place.

Baba Yellowlegs also speaks of witches, the Fae, and the Valg, hinting at old powers that still exist outside ordinary magic. Dorian leaves unsettled and finds Roland nearby. Roland claims he followed Dorian only to offer company, but Dorian cannot tell whether Roland is spying; as Dorian departs, Baba Yellowlegs seems to grin after him.

That night, Celaena tracks one of the men on the king’s list to the docks and discovers that all her remaining targets are escaping Rifthold with their families. Archer appears and admits he warned someone in the rebel organization because he could not bear to leave children parentless. Celaena threatens him for ruining her investigation, but Archer’s actions reveal that the rebel network can act quickly and may be motivated by more than self-interest.

As Celaena returns to the castle, she considers that even flawed rebels may still be saving lives. The thought that people might truly be gathering in Aelin Galathynius’s name gives Celaena a cautious hope that others might be able to challenge the king without forcing her or Chaol into danger. Meanwhile, Chaol is distracted during a guard meeting by his new intimacy with Celaena, and when Celaena summons him under a false pretext, the two steal time together in a broom closet.

Later, Celaena visits Nehemia and happily confides in her about Chaol. The mood changes when Nehemia reveals that the king wants her to persuade Eyllwe’s rebels to stand down or face slaughter, while Perrington’s coming move to Morath suggests the king is preparing harsher control in the south. Nehemia asks Celaena to promise that she will help free Eyllwe and restore Nehemia’s father’s crown.

Celaena refuses, arguing that open rebellion against the king would only bring massacre, especially after the destruction of Terrasen. Nehemia counters that Celaena was chosen by Elena and that darker powers are gathering, citing dreams of wings and scouts vanishing near the Ferian Gap. Their argument turns bitter: Nehemia calls Celaena selfish and a coward, and Celaena leaves with Fleetfoot after warning Nehemia not to seek comfort from her if Nehemia’s people die.