Kaine shepherds Helena back to headquarters on his chimaera, Amaris. There, Helena meets with Jan and Ilva. They threaten to bar her from headquarters if she doesn’t continue liaising with Kaine on their behalf. Then they task her with returning to the prison to speak with Wagner about how Morrough and the Undying are using their prisoners. Together, Jan and Helena determine from Wagner that Morrough is indeed using the Undying to garner more power.

Later, Helena learns from an orderly named Penny that Lila has to go before the Council “for compromising Luc’s safety” (687). She also questions Helena about her use of necromancy with Soren.

Over the following days, Helena tries to heal Lila so her resonance returns, but she is not successful. A discouraged Helena misses Kaine.

Days later, Helena and Kaine reunite. During a passionate embrace, Kaine notices that Helena is upset. She expresses her sadness and frustration with life at headquarters, begging Kaine to run away with her. Kaine opens up to Helena, sharing stories from his childhood. They decide they can’t run away but promise to call each other using their rings if they ever need each other.

Kaine starts calling Helena more often. Each time, they have a passionate encounter. Kaine promises to care for Helena, but she can’t help feeling guilty for using him all this time. During one visit, Helena opens up about her guilt regarding the torture she was forced to perform. Kaine opens up more about losing his mother. The lovers again swear to care for each other.

In the spring, the Undying attack the Resistance with a nullium bomb. Although the hospital was prepared for such an attack, they struggle to maintain their strength. Meanwhile, they discuss Morrough’s tactics and attempts to intimidate the Resistance. Helena works tirelessly at the hospital. When she’s off, she lies in bed, twisting Kaine’s ring and musing on their relationship and Morrough’s plans. She is still disturbed that he can trap his victims’ souls in their bones and use the bones to strengthen himself.

One day, Lila tells Helena she is pregnant with Luc’s child. Helena fears for Lila but understands that the baby could change her and Luc’s story. Helena promises to support her.

Helena disguises Lila’s pregnancy, reporting that she has bog cough. She forbids Luc to see her, but Pace soon determines what’s going on and advises Helena on the pregnancy.

Meanwhile, Helena works with Jan to determine why Mandl has been keeping prisoners in tanks. She uses her animancy skills to access Mandl’s mind and memories, horrified by what she sees.

The Resistance weakens, and the hospital remains full. One day, Helena meets with Kaine, and they discuss her recent encounters with obsidian. They decide to study it to test its effects on the Undying.

Another day, the Undying attack the hospital with a nullium bomb. Helena is in charge and tries to save everyone from contamination. As they flee, another blast goes off.

Helena wakes up injured. She fears she’ll die without seeing Kaine again. She loses consciousness. When she wakes up, she finds herself in a hospital-like room with Kaine standing over her. Kaine reminds her how important her survival is to the Resistance, because if she dies he swears to kill all of them. Then he brings a necrothrall in to care for her; the creature resembles his childhood nurse, Davies. Kaine reanimated her body after her death and promises Helena she’ll care for her in his absence.

Over the following weeks, Helena slowly recovers in Kaine and Davies’s care at Spirefell. Kaine meanwhile reveals more news from the war. He posits that Morrough kept Luc alive when he captured him because he was trying to extract his soul and empower himself.

When Helena regains her strength, she and Kaine have sex. She realizes she loves him, but doesn’t say so aloud. Afterwards, she returns to headquarters. She learns from Pace that Lila is stable. Then she meets with Jan, and they discuss the uses of obsidian. Helena then demands a deal with Jan: She insists on approving all his orders to Kaine in exchange for her continued cooperation. Jan reluctantly agrees.

Helena recovers the obsidian talisman. She meets with Kaine and explains that the obsidian can kill the Undying.

As the weeks pass, Helena feels different. She continues working with Jan, but refuses to torture anyone else. One day, she meets with Rhea, Titus, and Luc about possible new immunity methods she could use for Lila. A testy Luc dismisses her suggestions. The friends get into an argument. Frustrated with Helena, Luc pulls away before they resolve the disagreement.

Two weeks later, Kaine calls Helena. Helena explains the deal she made with Jan in an attempt to stop overtaxing Kaine. Kaine is upset because he fears Helena is in danger. They make amends and kiss, swearing their loyalty to each other.

Word spreads that Hevgoss has allied with the Undying. Luc and the Council prepare defensive tactics. They try without success to gain Novis’s support. They also plan to make an obsidian bomb. Helena soon shares this information with Kaine. He agrees to help.

One night, Kaine finds her in the lab. Tired and overworked, she begs him to run away with her. He can’t leave yet but kisses her and promises to protect her.

After the bomb is ready, Shiseo delivers it. Meanwhile, Helena visits Lila, and they discuss Luc and motherhood.

Helena waits in panic to hear whether the bomb worked. Meanwhile, Helena chats with Pace about Morrough and Luc’s capture. Helena feels suddenly afraid for Luc and goes in search of him. On the way, she gets word that the Undying have taken headquarters.

Helena finally gets an audience with Luc. He is acting just as strangely as he was in their last encounter. She realizes he is not himself. Luc announces that he is in fact Morrough. Helena realizes Morrough is controlling him and used him to get into headquarters. A fight ensues. Helena battles tirelessly, desperate to save the real Luc from Morrough’s control. Luc momentarily resurfaces, telling Helena to kill him in order to stop Morrough. Helena refuses and tries to save him when he stabs himself. Sebastian is injured, and Luc demands that she revive him. Luc slumps against the wall. Before dying, he makes Helena promise she’ll care for Lila and the baby.

Helena tells Kaine everything that happened. She is devastated by Luc’s death, blaming herself for failing to recognize that Morrough had stolen his vitality long ago. He was so depleted, she couldn’t save him. She also fears that Lila is gone. Kaine reveals that he rescued Lila and the baby.

Helena reunites with Lila and concocts an escape plan. She will bomb West Port Lab to form a distraction so she and Lila can escape without notice. Shiseo promises to support Helena.

Helena runs into Ivy, discovering that she has been working with the Undying. She let them into headquarters in exchange for reanimating her dead sister Sofia. Helena is shocked and furious.

Helena bombs the lab. Exhausted after fleeing the site, she tells herself to survive for Kaine. On her way to safety, she encounters Erik and his followers. She is captured and taken to Morrough, where she’s shocked to see Luc. She can’t reconcile what she’s seeing. Mandl appears, and Helena overhears her and Morrough speculating about the lab bombing. He and Mandl start trying to penetrate Helena’s mind, but she uses her animancy skills to block them. After the painful procedure, Helena feels her ring burning, relieved that Kaine is trying to find her.