Chapter 36

Rin wakes chained in a palace room, hungover and laudanum-dulled, realizing Nezha lured and stabbed her. Lady Saikhara storms in with a whip, raging that Rin failed to help the Hesperians “fix” Nezha’s dragon mark, revealing Saikhara’s bargain with Petra and Vaisra’s knowledge of Nezha’s shamanism.

Saikhara forces Rin to the window, where the assembled Republican and Hesperian troops execute Baji and then Suni by firing squad. Consumed by fury, Rin reaches the Phoenix; despite the drugs she musters a weak flame, sets Saikhara’s robes alight, and attacks incoming guards before they smother her fire and dose her with laudanum.

Vaisra, Petra, and General Tarcquet visit. Rin begs for her life and denounces their fear of shamans; Petra recoils when Rin bites her. Vaisra deems Rin unnecessary next to Hesperian guns and agrees to hand her over for study, instructing they keep her sedated and soaked.

As they depart, Rin gambles by revealing Nezha’s shamanic nature to Tarcquet, implying Vaisra orchestrated the grotto incident and that Petra promised a cure. Vaisra deflects and leaves, offering only that the House of Yin does what it must.

Alone, Rin contemplates suicide but cannot. A sudden, invisible pain lances her arm—their soul-bond relays Kitay carving messages into himself. She deciphers his “Where?” and scratches back “Palace 1–3,” smearing the blood to hide the message, clinging to the hope of rescue.