Jude wakes in Locke’s bed after his revel, remembering the dancing, the maze, and the way Cardan watched her while she kissed Locke. She retrieves her own clothes from Liriope’s old room and impulsively keeps the golden acorn she found there. On her way out, Jude encounters Nicasia, who reveals that Nicasia and Cardan were once expected to wed for an alliance, but Cardan ruined it.

At a lecture in the tower, the knight Dulcamara explains the laws and dangers surrounding the High Crown. The class learns that only descendants of Mab can wear it, that two descendants are needed for succession, and that anyone responsible for murdering the crown’s wearer dies because of the crown’s curse. Jude connects this information to her spying on Balekin and the note about blusher mushrooms.

After Taryn covers for Jude’s absence and presses her about Locke, Jude returns home and opens the acorn. Inside is a tiny golden bird carrying Liriope’s last message, asking a dear friend to protect “him,” presumably Locke, from the dangers of Court and never tell him the truth about Liriope’s death. Jude reconsiders Queen Orlagh’s note to Balekin and realizes it may not prove Balekin planned to poison Dain; instead, it may mean Balekin knows where the mushrooms that killed Liriope came from.

Determined to learn what she missed, Jude disguises herself as a servant and sneaks back into Hollow Hall. She searches Balekin’s study but finds no proof of a plot against Dain and no information about Liriope’s murder. While leaving, Jude sees the drugged human servant girl she noticed before and decides she cannot abandon her, even though freeing her risks exposing Jude’s spy work and betraying Dain’s trust.

Jude forces salt into the servant’s mouth to break the enchantment and learns the girl’s name is Sophie. Jude lies to Hollow Hall’s guards that Cardan has summoned them, then gets Sophie out just as Cardan and Nicasia arrive; Cardan appears not to recognize or stop them. In the woods, Sophie breaks down and explains that she was tricked at Burning Man into serving in Faerie after a bargain she thought was a joke.

Jude brings Sophie to Madoc’s stables and asks Vivi to take Sophie to the mortal world. Vivi agrees but warns Jude that she may be trying to save Sophie because she could not save their mother. Sophie resists the ragwort steeds, so they walk to the cliffs, where Sophie quietly fills her pockets with stones. During the flight toward the human towns, Sophie lets go and falls into the sea, and Jude realizes too late that Sophie had not wanted rescue as Jude understood it; Sophie is dead because Jude failed to listen.