Kadara’s rescue of the hatchling proves to be a trap: the young ruk has been used to lure the riders into a nearly invisible web strung between two peaks. Kadara crashes into it, and Sartaq throws himself over Nesryn, anchoring her in the saddle and shielding her as the ruk slams into stone and tumbles down into the pass.

The impact snaps the saddle straps and hurls Nesryn and Sartaq from Kadara. Sartaq twists so that he takes the brunt of the fall, leaving him bloodied and dazed but not broken. Nesryn frees them from the tangled leather, checks that Falkan is still alive in her pocket, and follows Sartaq to Kadara, who lies pinned in webbing.

Nesryn and Sartaq cut Kadara free with their blades, but they discover the hatchling was thrown from Kadara’s talons during the crash. The injured baby ruk lies near the edge of the pass, crying for help. Before Nesryn can reach it, a kharankui emerges from behind a rock, impales the hatchling, and drags it away to kill it.

With more spiders closing in from the trees and rocks, Sartaq desperately commands Kadara to fly. Kadara is hurt and struggling, while Falkan tries to escape Nesryn’s pocket, but Nesryn restrains him because his magic cannot produce a form large enough to save them. Nesryn uses her bow to hold off the first kharankui as Kadara labors into the air.

As Kadara finally rises, another kharankui prepares to leap onto her from above. Nesryn and Sartaq shoot together, killing it and giving Kadara the chance to escape into the sky. But half a dozen more kharankui emerge from the forest, so Sartaq grabs Nesryn and tells her to run, leading them not back toward the trees but deeper into the dark, winding pass.