Celaena uses blood from a cut on her arm to copy Wyrdmarks from the book onto the wall, forming an archway meant to become a door. Because the spell requires exact precision and power in the blood, Celaena keeps the wound open and reflects that Cain, Kaltain, and Roland must all have possessed some innate power the king could exploit through the Wyrdkeys and Wyrdmarks.

After practicing the final, complex mark in chalk, Celaena writes Nehemia’s name in Wyrdmark form with her blood. Celaena reads the unfamiliar spell aloud, despite the pain it causes in her throat and teeth, and the blood-marked archway glows green. The stones inside the arch darken and vanish, leaving a void that seems to reach toward her.

Celaena calls for Nehemia and waits, but at first nothing answers. The emptiness recalls Celaena’s dream of standing at the edge of a ravine and intensifies Celaena’s grief and fear. Then Fleetfoot rushes down the stairs, joyful and intent not on Celaena but on someone beyond the portal.

Nehemia appears as a shimmering figure on the far side of the boundary. Celaena collapses in tears and apologizes, but Nehemia tells Fleetfoot and Celaena that neither the living nor the dead may cross the line. Nehemia warns Celaena never to open the portal again, because something else will answer next time and Celaena will not survive.

Before leaving, Nehemia reveals that she knew and accepted her fate because her death was necessary to begin changing events. Nehemia tells Celaena that, despite the darkness of the past ten years, Celaena was one of her bright lights and must not let that light go out. Nehemia disappears into the void, and as Celaena begs for her to return, Archer appears nearby, stunned by what he has witnessed.