Galantia enters the crowded great hall where Ravens are feasting as Prince Malyr watches her from the high table. Cici explains that Malyr created new noble houses after his parents and sister died when Valtaris fell, and points out Captain Asker, a ravenguard seeking redemption for failing to prevent Malyr’s capture. Many human lords have brought daughters to court, competing for Malyr’s hand in a political marriage. Cici also corrects Galantia’s belief that Malyr’s mother was human—she was a half-blood whose gift manifested late. Sebian approaches their table, performs a playful courting dance, and jokes with them before joining Malyr at the high table. When Malyr catches Galantia’s eye, he provocatively touches his healing throat wounds and licks his thumb, then suddenly shouts for her to come sit beside him where she “belongs.”

Under the scrutiny of the entire court, Galantia walks to the high table. Malyr kicks away her chair and demands she kneel and kiss his boots. When she defiantly declares he will “never” be her “king,” he gives her the choice of sitting on his lap or kneeling on the ground. She chooses to kneel, enduring public humiliation as the court laughs. Rather than retaliating physically, Malyr activates the shadows woven into her dress to sexually stimulate her, which Sebian notices and remarks upon. When the stimulation becomes unbearable, Galantia stifles a moan. Malyr then withdraws his shadows and presses a greasy knife to her lips, ordering her to lick the blade or accept scraps. Vowing not to accept his food, she licks the blade and draws blood, visibly arousing Malyr.

Lorn arrives, pulling Galantia to the floor by her hair and demanding to know why she is there. She then drapes herself over Malyr, and he kisses her passionately while holding Galantia’s gaze. Lorn demands Galantia for the night as revenge, but Malyr rebuffs her. Sebian then intervenes, offering to take Galantia back to her chambers, but she flees from him instead.

Sebian follows Galantia out of the great hall, frustrated that Lorn interrupted what could have become an intimate encounter. He worries that Lorn will kill Galantia if she perceives Malyr’s unusual fixation on the captive. After shifting to intercept her at the stairs, he confronts Galantia about her anger. She accuses him of enjoying her humiliation, but he counters that she enjoyed it too, revealing that pathfinders can smell her arousal. He offers to relieve her sexual frustration but threatens to return her to Lorn if she does not calm down. When he touches her intimately, she pleads for him to stop, and her whimper triggers a disturbing memory that makes him immediately withdraw.

Galantia turns to a window and sees the town of Fjelbog below, expressing wonder at never having seen a real town before. She explains she was never allowed to leave Tidestone, attributing this to her “protective” mother. Sebian confirms her mother must be desperate to have her back, which is crucial for the hostage exchange. He offers to take her to the town, but she declines, asking instead to visit the castle library. He agrees to escort her there after he returns from a trip north.

In the library, Galantia reads a Raven account explaining how King Omaniel discovered Queen Elnora was his fated mate while she was betrothed to King Barat. Sebian explains the agonizing pull of the mate bond and suggests King Barat’s true motivation for war was seizing control of the aerymel mines, not recovering his betrothed. This challenges everything Galantia believes about the war’s origins.

While browsing alone, she spots Malyr at a distant table and freezes, unable to escape unnoticed. Lorn arrives and confronts Malyr about avoiding her and finds a book titled Delos’ta lay, which Sebian later translates as The Endless Ache. Lorn slaps Malyr and sexually provokes him by calling him a “little Raven boy” (130), which enrages him. Lorn and Malyr have aggressive sex while Galantia watches from her hiding place, simultaneously terrified and aroused. Sebian appears behind Galantia, covers her mouth to keep her silent, and touches her intimately while forcing her to continue watching. He confirms her arousal through scent and tells her she is “deranged” for enjoying it, adding that they are “all a bit broken” (132). He brings her to orgasm while Malyr finishes with Lorn. After Lorn leaves, Malyr destroys the table in rage and flies away. When Sebian asks if she enjoyed watching, Galantia is too confused and ashamed to answer and flees the library.

In a flashback to Malyr’s imprisonment at Tidestone, he and his brother Harlen are held in adjacent cells to Lorn, who is being repeatedly raped by their jailor. Harlen urges Malyr to use his shadows to escape, but Malyr is catatonic with guilt over accidentally killing their parents with his gift. He refuses to use his power, terrified he will kill Harlen too. Harlen slaps him to break through his paralysis.

Through a hole in the wall, Malyr speaks with Lorn, who tells them she is too weak to shift and makes him promise to burn her body if he ever finds it. Harlen explains they can only shift with paired assistance and cannot include Lorn in their escape. When the jailor enters and whips Harlen, he orders Malyr in Old Vhaer to free his shadows. Malyr attempts to summon them but panics when they move toward Harlen and withdraws them instead. Seeing Malyr’s failure, Harlen looks at him with contempt before summoning his own shadow dagger to stab the jailor. They take the keys and flee the cell. In the corridor, Malyr instinctively uses his deathweaver gift to kill a guard who confronts them. The wounded jailor, still alive, ambushes and knocks Malyr unconscious. When Malyr regains awareness, a guard throws Harlen’s corpse in front of him as a taunting meal from Lord Brisden.

Galantia receives books at her door, including a compendium explaining Raven gift classifications. She learns of the four types of Raven gifts, each of which have forms of “variations.” The book also talks about a legendary thief who stole other Ravens’ gifts and was consumed by them.

Cici and others invite Galantia to the market town, but they abandon her there. Sebian appears, explaining he is protecting her. At a merchant cart, he tells her about laool stones from his home island of Lanay and translates “Delos’ta lay” as a Raven’s longing for their fated mate which often turns into a physical “ache.” He mentions someone named Zaima used to love the stones, implying she is dead. When Galantia asks about traveling to Lanay, she realizes that Sebian can fly there, which gives her a feeling of “envy” for the ravens and their sense of freedom.

They witness young Raven children learning to shift by jumping from the castle parapet. When a boy successfully shifts before hitting the ground, Sebian explains this common practice, recounting how his own father threw him off a cliff. Galantia then spots Tjema, the burned girl from earlier, watching alone. Sebian reveals Tjema can no longer shift because Lord Brisden’s soldiers burned her ravens, destroying her primal, even though she was only a harmless weaver. When Galantia tries to justify it as part of war, Sebian becomes enraged. He forces her to ask how his sister Zaima died, then reveals that Prince Domren, Galantia’s betrothed, raped and murdered Zaima when she was 11 years old. Galantia is devastated by this revelation. Sebian makes her repeat the phrase, “It is war,” which tastes “rotten” in her mouth (157). He insists it is a war the humans started, then orders her back to her chamber.

During a violent thunderstorm, Galantia spots a raven in the wall cutout of her chamber. The bird enters and behaves strangely, bobbing its head, crooning, spreading its wings, and dropping a shiny object on her bed. When it hops under her nightshift and brushes against her legs, she panics and flees to Sebian’s door, pounding until he opens it.

Sebian is wearing only trousers, revealing severe burn scars covering his torso and arm. He checks her chamber but finds no raven and initially dismisses her fear as a nightmare. When she describes the bird’s courtship-like behavior, he says it does not sound like his anoa. He suggests she leave but then offers to let her stay if she will reciprocate sexually, promising she will remain a virgin. She refuses, but when thunder crashes and she begs not to return alone, he taunts her about their earlier argument and repeats his promise not to hurt her. He removes her wet nightshift and leads her to his bed, where they engage in sexual activity without penetration. She becomes aroused and moans his name, and he tells her he wants her badly, which makes her feel desired for the first time. He stops himself from engaging in penetrative sex with her, saying Malyr would kill him.

When she asks about his fated mate, he reveals she is dead. Feeling unexpectedly safe despite everything, Galantia thanks him for protecting her as she falls asleep in his arms.