Celaena and Nehemia share breakfast in Celaena’s rooms, but Nehemia quickly turns the conversation into a confrontation. Nehemia condemns Celaena for serving as the King’s Champion and questions whether Celaena’s freedom is worth killing for the king. Hurt and angry, Celaena finally reveals the truth: Celaena has not killed any of the people the king ordered her to execute, but has faked their deaths and helped them flee.

Celaena also tells Nehemia about Archer Finn’s bargain: Archer has until the end of the month to arrange his escape, and in return he is giving Celaena information about people involved in a movement to restore Terrasen’s lost heir. Celaena explains what Archer told her about Davis, making Nehemia uneasy. Nehemia warns that the king will kill Celaena if he discovers the deception, and she questions whether Archer can be trusted.

Celaena then brings Nehemia through the secret passage to Elena and Gavin’s tomb, explaining her encounters with Elena and the strange events since Samhuinn. Nehemia is startled by Mort, the enchanted bronze skull door knocker, and studies the Wyrdmarks inside the tomb. While Nehemia translates the marks as standard tomb inscriptions, Celaena notices that the raised stars on the floor form constellations, including the Dragonfly, the Wyvern, and finally the Stag, symbol of Terrasen.

Standing on the Stag allows Celaena and Nehemia to see a hidden eye-shaped mark in the wall, with a hole at its center. Celaena connects it to the line from Davis’s book, It is only with the eye that one can see rightly, but when she peers through the hole she sees only a blank wall. Mort refuses to explain, teasing that Celaena has not asked the right questions. The discovery remains unresolved, but Celaena asks Nehemia to teach her the basics of Wyrdmarks, hoping the knowledge may help her understand the tomb and the iron door in the library.

Back in Celaena’s room, Celaena tells Nehemia about the phrase written in Davis’s book and wonders whether it refers to the tomb’s eye or her amulet, but Nehemia dismisses both as likely coincidences while offering to research the matter. Philippa delivers a letter from Archer containing names of people possibly connected to Davis and the anti-king movement. Nehemia distrusts Archer’s willingness to share such information, but Celaena decides to investigate.

Celaena spends the rest of the day tracking the named men in the city, learning their homes, contacts, and guards, but finds nothing useful. When Celaena returns to the castle at sundown, exhausted and hungry, she finds a note from Chaol: the king has ordered Celaena to serve guard duty at the royal ball that night.