Celaena dreams she is running through the secret passage beneath the castle while Cain stalks her, surrounded by glowing green Wyrdmarks, with the ridderak close behind. Cain catches up, whispers Celaena's true name, and Celaena wakes in terror, clutching the Eye of Elena. After checking for danger, Celaena reassures herself that Cain, the ridderak, and Elena are gone, and Fleetfoot comforts her.

At dawn, Celaena meets Nehemia in the game park while Fleetfoot runs after a thrown stick. Because Nehemia has been busy charming Queen Georgina and gathering information about the king's plans for Eyllwe, dawn is one of their few chances to speak privately. Celaena tells Nehemia that the king has ordered Celaena to kill Archer Finn, whom the king suspects belongs to a secret movement in Rifthold working against him.

Nehemia doubts that rebels would risk operating in Rifthold, but Celaena explains that the king claims to have a list of key conspirators and will reveal one target at a time. Nehemia asks what plans the supposed rebels are interfering with, but Celaena does not know and lies by saying she will try to learn more. Celaena keeps her distance because the king threatened to kill Chaol, Nehemia, and Nehemia's family if Celaena betrays him, and every staged death already endangers them.

Nehemia then reveals her deeper worry: more Eyllwe rebels are being sent to the Calaculla labor camp, whose conditions are terrible and possibly worse than Endovier. Nehemia has asked the king three times to discuss Calaculla, but the king refuses to meet with Nehemia. Frustrated by inaction, Nehemia says she must find a way to help her people and asks when gathering information must become action.

Celaena is frightened by Nehemia's talk of action and offers no promise, as standing against the king seems certain to destroy them all. Hurt by Celaena's silence, Nehemia drops Fleetfoot's stick and returns to the castle. Celaena, left uneasy, decides that after meeting Chaol for their morning run, Celaena will go into Rifthold and postpone dealing with Archer because the king has given Celaena a month and she wants to spend some of her blood money away from the castle.