Karra, who witnesses their farewell kiss, tells Wren she’s hurt because she has been proved wrong about Gray being incapable of deep feelings. Meanwhile, Evlynne tells Wren she feels the mission is a trap.

The team flies to Bramble Base in Ward H, greeted by Declan. While awaiting coordinates from Travis, Declan gives Wren a tour. In the medical bay, they find Fiona and Poppy. Fiona is displeased by Wren’s influence on Poppy. Back in the briefing room, they learn that Travis has still not arrived at their rendezvous point and may be delaying the meeting. Suddenly, a large explosion shakes the bunker.

A second explosion destroys the main hatch. It is clear the group has been ambushed. Teriq orders everyone to evacuate through a secondary shaft behind the medical bay. Wren and Mako help Fiona and Poppy evacuate civilians as smoke fills corridors. Teriq reports a Silver Block unit has breached the base, delivering heavy fire.

In the escape corridor, Command soldiers ambush the group. Fiona is fatally shot. With her last words, she makes Wren promise to protect Poppy. Wren reaches the surface to find Poppy waiting. After breaking the news to Poppy, they are attacked by two soldiers. Wren recognizes Theo from Silver Elite.

Theo overpowers Wren and begins strangling her. Just as she is losing consciousness, Theo convulses. Poppy uses a powerful ability to manipulate nerves, stopping his heart. They escape on a motorcycle. Wren learns Teriq has been captured and Declan is dead. At the rendezvous, Evlynne and the plane are gone. Wren connects with Evlynne who admits she betrayed them by giving Travis the location. Wren wonders why Evlynne would do such a thing; Evlynne replies that it was Wren who had asked her to reach out to Fisher’s father.

Evlynne reveals Travis is Fisher’s father. Years ago, while infiltrating Command, she had a one-night stand with him. She contacted him fearing the Authority will harm Fisher for his powerful ability and Travis promised protection. She insists she would never compromise the Dagger and that Fisher was hidden in her gear bag.

Back at the Dagger, Wren takes a grieving Poppy to her quarters. Poppy confesses she possesses “infliction,” manipulating nerves to cause pain or death. Her bloodmark is inside her cheek. Fiona knew and tried to suppress it. The reason Fiona kept Wren away from Poppy was not to protect Poppy, but Wren herself. Poppy admits she accidentally poisoned Wren; she had tried to give her mother a stomachache using what she believed was crimlock, but had dug up heartroot by mistake—the flowers look nearly identical, but heartroot has a red root. Fiona set the drink down and Wren got it.

The Authority convenes. Kallister blames Adrienne for the disastrous mission and invokes “Order Five” to dissolve the Authority.

Gray explains if Order Five passes, Kallister becomes the sole leader. The vote is restricted to Authority members and mission leads. Wren and Gray go to the Temple to ask Kallister to reconsider; Wren reveals Fisher is Travis’s son. Unmoved, Kallister retaliates by exposing Wren’s secret to Gray: She is Stella Hess, daughter of the Tin Block Traitors who killed Gray’s family.

Gray is devastated and orders Wren to leave. Later, he informs her the vote was nearly unanimous. He says he isn’t ready to talk. Distraught, Wren follows a suspicious Kallister to a remote cave. She overhears him with Hawkins. She learns Hawkins is both an inciter and a corrupter, and that he and Kallister have been flying to the wards to experiment on Prime civilians, including children. Wren realizes with a sinking heart that Cross’s information was right.

Wren confronts Hawkins, who confirms it. He believes corrupting Prime minds is the fastest way to win the war and pulls a gun on Wren. She summons Mako telepathically. When Mako arrives, Hawkins immobilizes him by incitement. To Wren’s horror, Hawkins forces Mako to walk to the cliff and jump to his death.

As Hawkins prepares to shoot Wren, Prince attacks and nearly kills him. Prince nuzzles Wren’s hand before disappearing. Wren summons Saint. Saint reveals he is a “persuader” who can plant suggestions. He stages the scene as a wild animal attack and alters the security guards’ memories.

News spreads that Mako was killed by a wolf. Kallister announces Hawkins survived and is in a regen (healing) chamber. Gray comes to Wren’s quarters, apologizes, and confesses his love, affirming he doesn’t blame her for her parents’ actions. Just as Wren reciprocates, they receive a Dagger-wide alert: Kallister has sentenced Adrienne to execution at midnight for treason.

Wren tells Gray about Kallister’s secret corruption missions, speculating he no longer needs Adrienne’s ability as he has Hawkins. Gray will confront Kallister; Wren will visit Adrienne, who requested she come alone.

In the cellblock, Adrienne is strangely calm. She traces her despair to breaking her mentor Khem’s mind at twelve and decades of trying to atone. Wren smells heartroot on her breath and realizes Adrienne has poisoned herself. She chose this method and wanted Wren as her sole witness. Wren watches her die. As Wren calls Gray, she is shot with a tranquilizer dart.

Wren awakens bound in a hovercraft piloted by Kallister. Her powers are neutralized by a white daggerstone pendant he wears. Kallister lands at Valterra Ridge. He reveals he is a precog and had a vision of the night, including Mako’s death, which he allowed as a “necessary step.” He knew Wren was eavesdropping; his vision showed she would recruit Gray against him. It also turns out Kallister had masterminded the disaster at Bramble Base.

As Kallister prepares to kill Wren, a Command helicopter appears suddenly. Wren attacks Kallister; Kallister shoots her in the arm and shoves her off the cliff. She grabs the ledge, dangling above the water as Kallister escapes. A hand reaches down—it is Cross.

Cross hauls her up and urges she should escape, explaining he stole the helicopter and it will be tracked. He thought she was dead because he hasn’t felt her telepathic signature for months. Confused, Wren says she can still feel his. They escape, but alarms indicate a fuel leak. Engines fail and the helicopter crashes into the ocean. Cross holds her as the cabin floods.

From Cross’s POV, the chapter re-opens at the moment he pulls Wren up, overwhelmed after believing her dead for months. He explains he stole the helicopter after an unexplainable pull led him to Valterra Ridge. While flying, he reiterates he thought she died because he could no longer feel her energy. Wren counters that she can still feel his—confusing them both. Cross plans to fly to an old airfield on Heath’s End, but a fuel leak from a gunshot grounds them. The helicopter crashes into the ocean. As the cabin floods, Cross holds Wren, vowing never to let her go again.