After Jude openly defies Cardan and his friends, retaliation comes the same day. During history lessons with Yarrow, Jude answers questions correctly, which visibly irritates Cardan. When lessons end before dark, Taryn warns Jude that picking fights with powerful faeries is unlike her and will only make things worse, but Jude still feels a reckless calm after choosing defiance.

On the walk home, Cardan's group ambushes Jude and Taryn in the woods. They drag the twins to a river and shove them into the cold water, where Valerian warns that nixies may pull them under. While Jude and Taryn struggle against the current, Valerian, Nicasia, and Locke throw their schoolbooks, papers, pens, and ink into the water, destroying their belongings as Cardan watches.

Cardan offers to save Jude if Jude tells Madoc she does not belong among the faeries and gives up the tourney. Jude considers Taryn's danger but refuses to surrender control over her feelings or choices. Cardan then turns to Taryn and offers her safety if Taryn climbs out, kisses Cardan's cheeks, and agrees not to defend Jude.

Jude tells Taryn to go, but Taryn's choice still hurts Jude. Taryn accepts Cardan's bargain, though Taryn refuses Nicasia's added demand to verbally forsake Jude. Cardan uses Taryn's departure to taunt Jude, promising that the faeries can humiliate, curse, or break Jude if Jude continues resisting, but Jude answers, "Never."

Cardan and the others finally leave Jude and Taryn at the river. Jude hauls herself onto the bank and scares off the emerging nixies by throwing a rock near them. Jude and Taryn walk home soaked and shaken, with Taryn crying softly while Jude thinks of her hatred for Cardan's group, her hatred for herself, and the alien world that may never belong to her.