Darcy, Tory, Orion, and their allies escape from a battle with Lionel Acrux. As they flee, Darcy and Tory worry about Darius, who was not present at the battle. They suspect Darius has taken some important action while the battle was raging, but they don’t know what. Tory is also distressed because she believes Darius has been forced into marrying another woman (Mildred).

The group arrives at a rebel sanctuary called The Burrows, an enchanted farmhouse hidden in a snowy landscape. There, they are greeted by Hamish, a leader of the rebel movement (which stands against Lionel and the oppressive policies he has instituted during his reign). Hamish is the father of Geraldine, one of the twins’ staunchest allies and closest friends. Catalina (Darius and Xavier’s mother) is also at the safehouse. The rebels welcome Tory and Darcy as the rightful Queens of Solaria.

Darcy worries about Tory, who is clearly anxious about Darius. Tory reassures her sister that she should focus on reuniting with Lance Orion and finally mending their relationship. Darcy checks in with Orion, concerned about his emotions after he recently set the spirit of his sister, Clara, free during the battle (this involved killing the physical form that Clara had been inhabiting so that her spirit could be at peace).