Auren wakes in the evening to find Lu sitting in her room. Lu entered through the locked balcony door, criticizing the castle’s poor security. The mention of guards makes Auren feel guilty about indulging with Slade while Digby is imprisoned. Lu comforts her. Lu reveals she found the book about fae that Auren hid and hands it to her before they leave.

They then descend from the balcony. Lu leads them through the castle grounds, but when she reveals they will walk out through the main gate during a shift change, Auren panics. However, Lu possesses magic that diverts attention. As they walk toward the open gate, guards repeatedly look their direction but are mysteriously distracted at the last moment, allowing them to slip through unseen. As they approach the Fourth Kingdom army campfires, Auren feels as if she is coming home.

Walking through the Fourth Kingdom camp with Lu, Auren notices the soldiers staring at her with distrust. Lu explains they see her as Midas’s pet, but Auren decides to carry herself with confidence instead of hiding. They meet Inga, a soldier Auren recognizes, before reaching a larger tent where Slade (in his Rip form with spikes), Judd, Osrik, and Lu gather around a fire.

Auren and Slade share an intense, charged look. Judd gives her wine. The group banters easily, and Auren feels comfortable. She asks if the Wrath know about Slade’s ability to change forms; he confirms that only they and Auren know.

The group teases Slade and Auren about their relationship and his anatomy. When Auren expresses her wish to escape being the gold girl, Slade tells her never to wish herself away. Judd, Lu, and Osrik leave to get more wine. Once they are alone, Slade and Auren want to have sex again.

Auren and Slade kiss passionately before he carries her into his tent, where he has combined their sleeping pallets. The fae book falls from her coat, but they agree to discuss it later.

As they undress, Auren cries tears of happiness, realizing she has been starving for true connection, not just freedom. Slade moves to perform oral sex, something Auren has never experienced, and she struggles to overcome her discomfort. They have sex. Lying together afterward, Auren reflects on how different and fulfilling intimacy is with Slade compared to Midas.

The moment ends when Auren says they need to talk. After dressing, Auren confesses that Midas is holding Digby prisoner.

Auren tells Slade everything about Digby and her escape plan with Rissa. In the meeting tent, she relays the information to his Wrath. Osrik suggests Digby is in the dungeons. Lu reveals she has been guarding Prince Niven to prevent Midas from assassinating him. Slade instructs Lu to prioritize finding Digby while Judd takes over watching the prince.

When the group discusses Rissa, Judd calls her a liability, and Osrik suggests killing her. Auren furiously forbids this. Slade promises they will not hurt Rissa and offers to let her and Polly, the other saddle Rissa wants to escape with, go with their army, ensuring their safety and silence. Auren agrees to leave as soon as Digby is found.

As Slade and Lu walk Auren to the camp’s edge, she thanks them and offhandedly remarks that she is nothing to them. Slade stops and fiercely tells her she is not nothing. Lu adds that Auren is one of them now. They greet Keg, the army cook, on the way.

A Highbell messenger hawk lands on Slade’s arm. His trained hawks intercept messages from other kingdoms. A coded message reveals that Queen Malina has fled Highbell. He agrees to meet Auren in the library at dusk tomorrow in his king form.

Lu successfully sneaks Auren back onto the grounds, but as they approach the balcony, they are confronted by Queen Kaila and her guards.

Queen Kaila asks Auren to walk with her, dismissing Lu. As they walk to the timberwing perch, Kaila reveals her magic allows her to control voices and steal whispers. She uses her power to replay the conversation she overheard between Auren and Lu about meeting with Rip, terrifying Auren.

Inside the perch, Kaila greets her personal timberwing, Riawk, then reveals she and Midas have agreed to marry. When Auren points out that he is already married, Kaila claims that Queen Malina was killed in riots in Highbell. Auren connects this to the coded message Slade intercepted.

Kaila asks if Auren will be a problem and reveals she knows about Mist’s pregnancy. She implies she plans to have Mist killed. Kaila makes a deal: If Auren runs away with the army commander, Rip, Kaila will not tell Midas about their liaison. If she stays, Kaila will expose her.

Kaila says she and Midas will announce their union at the ball. As a final intimidation, she encourages Auren to pet Riawk, who snaps at her. Kaila laughs and dismisses her. Auren flees, determined to warn Mist.

Auren goes to the saddles’ wing to find Rissa but learns the saddles are in town entertaining Third Kingdom dignitaries. She heads to Mist’s chambers, escorted by one of the saddles’ guards after claiming to have a message from the king. When the angry, disheveled Mist opens her door, Auren forces her way inside and locks the door.

Auren warns Mist of Queen Kaila’s plan. Mist refuses to believe her, accusing Auren of lying out of jealousy. When Mist screams at her to leave, the guards pound on the door. Auren agrees to go but makes a final plea for Mist to talk to Rissa and consider the offer of escape for her baby’s sake. Mist shows doubt but tells her to leave again.

Returning to her corridor, Auren’s guards Scofield and Lowe are shocked to see her, believing she was inside her room. She ignores them and falls asleep, hoping Mist will believe her.

Auren wakes with renewed determination. Attempting to sneak out via the balcony to find Rissa, she discovers a guard now posted below, realizing Midas knows she left and has trapped her. She writes a note to summon Rissa instead, but when she opens her door, Midas is there and takes it.

He enters her room, apologizing for his absence and for striking her, but does not mention Malina’s death or his betrothal to Kaila. He asks her to add finishing touches around the castle before the ball. Auren agrees on the condition she can see Digby afterward. Midas agrees.

Auren spends the entire day gilding items throughout the castle, exhausting her power. The weakened magic and hours of work leave her drained. At dusk in the ballroom, she finishes, her power completely spent. Midas praises her.

A maid brings food and wine. Midas insists Auren eat and drink to recover before seeing Digby. Exhausted and starved, she does, though it tastes overly sweet and thick. When she finishes and says she is ready, Midas agrees to take her to Digby.