Though Blythe is surrounded by people she has known all her life, none address her or ask how she is doing. Less concerned with social propriety and niceties than Signa, Blythe does not care what these people think of her. As Blythe is small and frail from prolonged illness, people tend to underestimate her, which she uses to her advantage. Blythe sneaks from the ballroom and runs into “Prince Aris,” whom she recognizes as the man who accused her father. Though Blythe wants to confront him, she needs Prince Aris to help her father and settles with merely bickering with him. When Blythe mentions her recent illness, he calls her “the girl who defied death” (86) and seems to take an interest in her. When Signa finds them, she confuses Blythe with her lack of tact around royalty. To compensate, Blythe offers to join him in the first dance of the ball.

Signa knows Fate is trying to get under her skin and she feels guilty for letting Blythe out of her sight to watch Byron and Eliza. She accepts the first offer she receives to dance so she can be closer to Blythe on the dance floor, but as she joins the dance, she finds that Fate is now her dance partner. He mentions that Blythe has defied him three times, living when she was meant to die because of Signa. She sees golden threads all over the ballroom, all returning to Fate, and realizes all of the guests are under his control. She agrees to another dance with the condition that he answer her questions. 

Signa asks how he arrived in society so seamlessly, and Fate admits that human minds are easy to manipulate and he could easily make everyone forget Elijah’s imprisonment if he wanted. He refuses to leave Blythe alone when Signa asks him to, and he tells her that there are repercussions for defying fate, as she and Blythe have. When the dance ends, Fate asks if Signa recognized the song that was just playing, but Signa does not remember it. Fate tries to get her to recognize him, hinting that they met in another lifetime.

Signa wants to laugh at Fate’s declaration, realizing that he thinks she is the reincarnation of the lover that Death took centuries ago. Fate tells Signa that she is neither a regular human nor a reaper, but Life itself. Signa does not believe him. Fate tells Signa that she was once his wife. Signa cannot believe anything Fate is saying but suggests that she can help him find Life. Fate is angry at this but offers to help Signa understand her powers, claiming that, if she wanted to, she could do more than just kill others. Signa offers Fate a deal: She will entertain his fantasy that she is his former wife if he restores her ability to communicate with Death, having rightfully guessed that their blocked communication is Fate’s doing. Fate agrees with the condition that Signa only speaks with Death the nights after Fate attempts to court her. Signa asks Fate who killed Julius, but he refuses to answer.

Back in the carriage, Signa and Blythe discuss Eliza’s suspicious behavior, but Signa keeps her thoughts about Byron to herself. Signa tries to speak with Death and finally hears his voice in her head. At Signa’s request, Death finally tells her about his relationship with Fate and Life. Unlike Fate and Death, Life aged and eventually knew it was her time to die. She approached Death with this news, saying she would return in another form, but asked to have one last day with Fate. Once Fate understood what was happening, he demanded that Death not let Life die. 

Weighed down by his own grief as well as his brother’s, Death refused Fate’s request, keeping Life alive as long as he could manage, the delays making her eventual death worse for her. When Death could no longer resist the call to kill Life, he initiated the black plague, and Life was the first victim. Signa tries to comfort Death, who feels immense guilt for the innocent lives he took. He has not seen Life since she died. Death agrees to speak to his brother about the murder but asks Signa not to see Fate again, a promise she knows she cannot make. Blythe, who fell asleep in the carriage, wakes to see Signa grinning to herself and correctly guesses Signa is dreaming of a man. Signa is forced to admit this is true, but she says the man is Everett Wakefield, who courted her the previous season but in whom their good friend Charlotte is interested.

The next morning, Blythe arrives at Signa’s bedroom with a massive bouquet from the prince, seeming mildly jealous. In the bouquet is a letter reading, “Give me the chance, and I shall show you that I am not the villain here, Miss Farrow” (113). Elaine arrives to tell Signa that Everett, soon to be the new Duke of Wakefield, is here to see her. Signa is sympathetic toward Everett, unlike his tactless cousin, Eliza, and he apologizes for the things he said about the Hawthornes the night of the murder. His passion led him to believe that Elijah murdered his father, but he now regrets what he thought in the heat of the moment and has since spoken to the constable on Elijah’s behalf. He reports that this did nothing to change the constable’s suspicions. Signa wonders if Fate planted this idea in Everett’s mind, especially after Everett invites the Hawthornes to his investiture ceremony.

Byron is spending an unusual amount of time in Elijah’s study and locking it behind him when he leaves. Signa takes one of her last two doses of belladonna berries, though Death initially tries to stop her. However, he eventually accompanies her into Elijah’s study to look for clues to Julius’s murder. They learn that Byron has been investigating Percy’s disappearance, which worries Signa, as she killed Percy after learning that he was poisoning his family. Death tries to reassure Signa, reminding her that, if Percy had not died, Blythe would have.

Blythe enters the study to investigate. Signa and Death are invisible to her. She discovers an engagement ring and reads Byron’s theories about Percy and his suspected murder. Signa feels worse than ever about keeping secrets from Blythe, and she momentarily wishes she could bestow life rather than just death, as Fate suggested.

Suddenly, vines of ivy and wisteria rise from the floorboards beneath Signa’s feet. They rush from the room, and Death suspects that Signa used Life’s powers of creation. He asks if she knew this was why Fate came to town, but Signa refuses to believe she is Life reincarnated. She does not die when Death touches her, as everyone else—including Life—does. Both are afraid that this realization will change their relationship, but Death tells her to lean into her new powers. He will remain by her side until she tells him to leave her. This gives Signa some relief, but she doesn’t tell him that she heard the song Fate wanted her to recognize at the ball while she used her new powers.

Unable to explain the sudden vines that appeared in the study, Blythe believes she must have been poisoned again, and she decides she cannot stay in the house. She debates whether or not to tell Signa what she saw as she wanders to the stables, where she takes her mother’s horse, Mitra, on a ride. She asks a new groom, William Crepsley, to accompany her as she rides to Charlotte Killinger’s home. Charlotte was the last person to see Percy just before he disappeared. When she arrives at the Killinger estate, Blythe is shocked to see Charlotte kissing Everett, but she pretends to ignore this for her friend’s sake.

Blythe asks Charlotte to tell her everything that happened the night of Percy’s disappearance, but Charlotte repeats the same story Blythe already heard: Percy ran away because he thought someone was after him. Blythe does not believe this, as she knows Percy would try to contact the Hawthornes. Charlotte mentions that Blythe should ask Signa about this. Charlotte saw her that night just after she saw Percy, and she knows about the rumors that have surrounded Signa since childhood. Charlotte also blurts out that Everett is keeping his eye on her, which is why the Hawthornes were invited to his investiture. Blythe defends Signa, but Charlotte successfully plants suspicion in Blythe’s head.

The next day, Signa notices that Blythe has been oddly quiet as she brings up theories about the murderer, even boldly mentioning Byron. Their discussion comes to a stop when the prince arrives and invites Signa for a walk around Thorn Grove. Signa knows Death must be near and asks him to protect Blythe while she is with Fate. Fate takes Signa on a picnic, which was one of Life’s favorite things. Signa begins to see Fate in a slightly different light, especially as she recognizes how desperate he is. Still, she feels more aligned with Death and his personality. Signa makes Fate promise not to hurt Blythe and he agrees, giving her a blood oath that he will never hurt Blythe. When Signa asks if he will promise the same for Death, Fate gets angry and leaves.

Death is waiting for Signa when she returns to her room, and he reprimands her for making bargains with Fate. Signa realizes Death is afraid, but he claims not to fear Fate. Death takes Signa to Wisteria Gardens. It looks nothing like it did at the ball but is instead in ruins, which Death claims is a manifestation of Fate’s feelings. Only a painting of Life is in full color, showing Fate’s devotion to her, and Death admits that he fears Signa will leave him because she has Life’s powers. Death takes her through a door behind the painting, where they see Fate’s room of tapestries where he makes choices about life and death. Just as Fate arrives back at Wisteria Gardens, Death transports himself and Signa back to Thorn Grove.