Chapter 30

Four months and one week after Briana Matthews disappeared, Bree and Zoe ride to Mikael's Penumbra Estate in disguise for the Collectors' Gala. Elijah's warnings hang over them, and Zoe helps Bree adopt the confidence of their false identities, Vivienne and Tamar Keaton, wealthy heiresses whose names Daeza's staff placed on the invite list.

At the estate, Bree observes the scale and cold power of Mikael's mansion and recalls that returning the Shadow King's crown is meant to stop Erebus's hunting and possibly help save the missing girl who tried to save Bree. Both Bree and Zoe wear masks, carry overnight bags because Erebus warned that rules can change, and hide their real abilities and weapons beneath the appearance of ordinary human guests.

At the entrance, warlock guards check the aether-infused seal on the invitation rather than the guests' identities, allowing Bree and Zoe inside. A ward ripples over them but does not stop them. Soon after, another man triggers the ward and is seized by security; Bianca, Mikael's human warlock second-in-command, directs that the man be taken aside after he claims to know Mikael.

Bree and Zoe move upstairs to the ballroom, where the illegal gala and auction are arranged around a central stage. Zoe separates to locate the elevator that should lead toward the basement storage area, while Bree takes a seat at a table near the exit and plays the role of a first-time Collector. A wealthy woman at Bree's table hints that Mikael's grand finale is a unique object from both this world and the other world, suggesting it may be the Shadow King's crown.

Bianca and another warlock enter the ballroom and head toward the same elevator Bree needs, temporarily threatening the mission. After a server blocks Bree's view, Zoe signals that the path is clear. When the first auction item, a restored sextant linked to Napoleon, is brought out and bidding begins, Bree uses the distraction to slip away toward the elevator, putting the theft into motion.