Yrene begins the attempt to save Duva by shielding her hands with healing light and removing the false wedding ring. The ring contains far deeper corruption than the shadow Yrene once found in Chaol, and Duva screams and thrashes despite Hafiza's sleeping spell while Sartaq and Kashin hold their sister down. Hasar silences objections from the khagan and orders the ring cracked open, exposing the black stone within.

Yrene places her hands on Duva's chest and sends her power into the princess, confronting the Valg parasite inside her body. The demon fights back, but Yrene drives it into a final corner and sees its true monstrous form. When Yrene calls it pathetic for a prince to prey on Duva, the demon reveals it is not a prince but a Valg princess, and warns that its sisters will find Yrene before Yrene destroys it.

After the demon is expelled as black smoke, Duva wakes weakened but alive. Yrene checks Duva's unborn child and confirms the baby is healthy and human, bringing relief to Duva, her husband, the khagan, and the Grand Empress. Duva confirms that everything revealed about her possession is true, and the royal family gathers around her in grief and joy. The khagan offers Yrene anything she wants, and Yrene immediately asks for a favor.

Later, Chaol and Yrene meet privately with Nesryn and Sartaq. Chaol reflects that Yrene's draining magic weakened their life-bond and left his legs unable to stand, but he accepts this as part of their shared future rather than a punishment. Sartaq explains that Kadja, a servant in his employ, saw Duva go to the tunnels and helped save them, prompting concern that Arghun might punish her for not reporting to him.

Nesryn reveals what she and Sartaq learned among the rukhin: Maeve is a Valg queen, the stygian spiders are Valg foot soldiers, and Maeve has hidden as Fae for millennia. Yrene realizes Maeve's healer compound and owl companion may be connected to defense against the Valg. Chaol shares what happened with Duva and the Valg princess, and the group discusses the need to join Aelin's forces, use Hafiza's books, and find ways for healers to save Valg-infected hosts.

Sartaq then reveals he has brought a thousand ruk riders, giving their side a possible aerial force against Morath. Hasar enters and announces that she will also come, bringing whatever ships she can because Yrene saved Duva and because Hasar wants vengeance for her sisters. Moved by Hasar's pledge to help save Yrene's homeland, Yrene embraces the princess.