In the glass castle, Chaol questions Ress about Celaena’s condition. Ress reports that Celaena has only moved from bed to a chair by the fire, still silent and barely eating, while Philippa watches over her. Chaol, marked by the cuts Celaena gave him, refuses advice to speak with her and orders guards kept at Celaena’s door and windows, not to stop her if she leaves but to slow her long enough for Chaol to be warned.

Chaol remains emotionally hollow after losing Celaena’s trust and remembers her declaration that he will always be her enemy. Even so, Chaol believes he must be the one to confront Celaena about Nehemia’s death when Celaena finally emerges. Chaol also faces growing political pressure, as meetings continue over unrest in Eyllwe and the king summons southern lords and retainers to Rifthold, including Chaol’s father.

In Dorian’s tower rooms, Dorian resents being constantly guarded after Nehemia’s assassination proved the castle vulnerable. Roland has stayed in Rifthold and supports Dorian in council, where Dorian argues against sending more troops into Eyllwe and pushes for a public apology to Nehemia’s parents. The king rejects Dorian’s suggestion, but Dorian writes condolences anyway, realizing that unquestioning obedience to his father has become impossible.

Dorian also tries to understand the strange power that awakened when he stopped Celaena from killing Chaol. Remembering how he felt an invisible force seize Celaena’s wrist, Dorian attempts to move a glass pen with magic but fails. Because Nehemia had once hinted she knew about his power, Dorian fears that her death may have destroyed his best chance of finding answers.

In Celaena’s rooms, Celaena sits before the fire after moving only because Philippa changed the sheets and removed traces of Chaol from the bed. Though Celaena remains silent and watched for fear of self-harm, Celaena has no intention of dying before acting. In her grief, Celaena reconstructs Nehemia’s murder and concludes the assassin came from outside the palace, was not working for the king, and was not one of Arobynn’s assassins.

Celaena identifies the killer as Grave, a brutal assassin from the King’s Champion competition who knew the palace and would understand exactly what Nehemia’s murder would do to Celaena. That realization rekindles Celaena’s deadly purpose. Filled with dark fury, Celaena rises from the chair, ending her paralysis and preparing to act.