Medra arrives at Professor Rodriguez’s office for her thrallguard lesson to find him angry. He confronts her for stealing a book on magical bonds and scolds her for a poorly written, late essay on dragons. When Medra counters by asking about his secret meeting with Blake, Rodriguez dismisses her. He speaks cryptically about a legacy involving dragons and their riders, telling Medra that she must survive the upcoming Consort Games to learn the truth. He suggests that she accept the help Blake is willing to offer. Later, Medra finds a note from Blake summoning her to the Dragon Court at midnight with the promise of a weapon she can use against him. Remembering Rodriguez’s advice and feeling grateful that Blake found her while she was sleepwalking, she decides to go. When she meets him, he informs her that the Consort Games will begin in less than two days. He offers to protect her, warning that she will be at a severe disadvantage as a lone blightborn.

Blake tells Medra that to receive his protection and a secret about Aenia, she must drink a vial of his blood. After a moment of disgust, Medra’s desire for leverage over him wins out, and she drinks the blood. Blake then reveals the truth: Aenia isn’t his sister. Years ago, his violent brother, Marcus, murdered Aenia’s blightborn family and left the two-year-old for dead. Blake found the toddler and illegally turned her into a highblood to save her, but the process was flawed. Aenia became a “foulblood,” “turned” vampires who are typically killed because of their uncontrolled bloodlust. Blake’s mother hid Blake’s illegal actions by claiming Aenia as her own child. Blake admits that Viktor knows the secret about Aenia and uses it to control him. Medra is appalled by the hypocrisy of highblood law, which would execute Blake for saving a child but allow Marcus to go unpunished for murder. However, Medra also accuses Blake of telling her about Aenia only to manipulate her emotions and share his guilt. Angered, Blake insists that he’s trying to protect her and leaves.

The next day, the day before the Consort Games, Medra reflects on Blake’s confession about Aenia, realizing that he’s more complex than she thought. It becomes clear to her that Blake thinks of Aenia as his “child” since he created her and wants to protect her at all costs. Medra feels strange side effects from drinking Blake’s blood, including heightened senses, restlessness, and a constant awareness of his presence. In the Common Room, Naveen confesses to her that he’s failing three classes and fears the consequences: His family will either face a ruinous debt or he will be forced into indentured servitude at a highblood house. He makes her promise not to tell Florence about his troubles. Later, after an uneventful dinner, Medra returns to her room. She speaks to Orcades and is worried by how distant and dream-like her mother seems. As Medra falls asleep, an intruder breaks in and presses a sweet-smelling cloth over her face, causing her to lose consciousness.

Blake sits with Theo in the arena, watching a magical projection veil that will display the events of the Consort Games. He’s deeply worried for Medra, who has been drugged and taken to an island to compete, as per the Games protocol. Theo is tense and bitter, accusing Blake of complicity in the brutal attack that ruined his relationship with Vaughn. Meanwhile, Lucian Aleron, another highblood, informs Blake that Regan successfully petitioned for the Crown of Bone to be used on Medra. Blake is enraged; the magical artifact forces a blightborn to unconsciously choose a loved one to face a terrible fate as a test of loyalty. He knows this is a targeted attack on Medra and that he’s now powerless to stop it.

Medra awakens alone on a cot in a cavern, the last consort to start the Games. Professor Wispwood removes a white circlet—the Bone Crown—from her head and wishes her luck. Drugged and disoriented, Medra pulls on her boots and finds Coregon’s dagger already tucked in one—she routinely carries it, and it was there when she was taken from her bed. She emerges onto a jungle island and must cross a gorge via magical platforms that require a partner. Visha and her co-consort, Evander Sylvain, are on the other side. Visha deduces that Regan must have paid someone off to have Medra over-drugged; when Medra guesses that Blake has asked Visha to help her, Visha confirms it. Visha helps a woozy Medra cross into the island just before the platforms collapse. Visha tells Medra that the circlet she described is the Crown of Bone, which enables access into her deepest loyalties. Medra’s enemies can use the information to manipulate her. Visha warns Medra against being manipulated and asks her to meet them on the far side of the island. As Medra travels through the jungle, the effects of Blake’s blood activate, enhancing her strength. She’s ambushed by Regan, Gretchen, and Quinn. Medra successfully blocks Regan’s mind control and, fueled by Blake’s blood, fights back ferociously. After a brutal struggle, she wounds Gretchen and overpowers Regan, knocking her unconscious. Quinn then fires an arrow at her.

While watching the projection in the arena, Theo can see Medra’s unnatural speed and realizes that Blake gave her his blood. Blake defends his action as necessary to counter Regan’s planned sabotage. Marcus arrives on the spot and taunts Bake and Theo. He expresses a predatory interest in Medra, enraging Blake. To protect Medra from Marcus and Viktor, Blake lies and claims that his magical bond with Medra is nearly complete, which would make her untouchable by others. Marcus leaves, thwarted, but Theo warns Blake that the lie will only make them target Medra more aggressively.

On the island, Medra’s enhanced abilities allow her to catch Quinn’s arrow mid-flight. Medra scales the tree, drives the arrow into Quinn’s side, and knocks her from the branch; Quinn hits the ground wounded but alive. Medra proceeds to the rendezvous point, a large domed building, where Visha tells her that the next challenge requires blood from both of a triad’s consorts. Realizing that she needs Regan, Medra returns to the clearing but finds it empty. Using her newly awakened rider instincts, amplified by Blake’s blood, she tracks Regan through the jungle. With Orcades directing her from the dagger, she finds Regan hiding in a tree. Medra offers Regan her hand and threatens to carry her if necessary; Regan follows reluctantly back to the dome.

Medra and Regan are the last to arrive at the domed building. They sprinkle their blood at the threshold as the ritual requires; the doors open, and they enter an arena-like chamber. They’re attacked by two grotesque, spider-like monsters, cobbled together from mortal body parts. Regan recognizes the challenge from the previous year, remarking on the creatures with contemptuous familiarity; Medra infers from context that these are former students who failed their classes. To her horror, Medra recognizes one of them as the distorted version of Naveen. As Medra fights Naveen, she realizes mid-battle that the Crown of Bone forced her to unconsciously choose which of her friends would face this fate. Medra chose Naveen, as she loves Florence more. Orcades confirms her hunch. Grief-stricken but resolute, Medra accepts that Naveen is already gone and gives his monstrous form a merciful death. She then sees that the other creature has overpowered Regan. Putting aside her anger, Medra saves Regan, and together they kill the second monster before exiting the dome.

Two days after the Games, Medra and Florence grieve for Naveen in Medra’s room. Florence reveals that Naveen had confessed his love for her shortly before he died, deepening her sorrow. Medra is overwhelmed by the secret guilt that she was forced to choose him for this fate. Blake arrives to summon Medra to a disciplinary hearing with Headmaster Kim. Florence confronts Blake, making him promise that he will protect Medra. He agrees, and Medra leaves with him.

Blake walks with Medra to the headmaster’s office. On the way, Medra surprises Blake by thanking him for the blood that saved her life; he privately feels guilty, knowing she doesn’t understand the full ramifications of drinking his blood. At the hearing, Headmaster Kim; Viktor Drakharrow; Regan; and Regan’s father, Lord Pansera, are present. Regan and her father falsely accuse Medra of sabotaging the triad. Blake defends Medra, recounting Regan’s treachery. Regan retaliates by revealing that Blake gave Medra his blood. Medra speaks up, explaining that she acted in self-defense and showed mercy by not killing Regan. Kim rules in Medra’s favor, exonerating her and Blake, but he also states that the Crown of Bone was used fairly and within the school’s rights, declining to hold Regan accountable for it. Blake then invokes the Right of Dissolution, officially ending his betrothal to Regan. Kim initially offers Medra the Right of Retribution, which enables her to order Regan’s death. After Lord Pansera objects that a blightborn can’t decide a highblood’s fate, Kim redirects the final decision to Blake as the triad’s archon.

Knowing that Medra wouldn’t want Regan’s death on her conscience, Blake declines the Right of Retribution, sparing Regan’s life but ending her status as his consort. Outside the hearing, Blake pulls Medra into an alcove where they share a passionate kiss. Their moment is interrupted by Kage. After Blake leaves, Kage warns Medra to be careful, stating that the Drakharrows are only interested in power and that a shift in the world is coming. Medra dismisses him, but his words leave her unsettled.

Blake meets with Viktor, who questions his decisions. Suspecting that Viktor wants Medra for himself, Blake lies and confirms that his bond with Medra is complete, claiming that he has already fed from her blood, which would make her exclusively his. Viktor accepts the lie but warns Blake that he can be easily “unmade” or destroyed. Viktor then announces his plan to host a celebration to welcome Medra into the family. Blake realizes that to protect Medra from his uncle’s predatory intentions, his lie must become truth. He resolves to feed from Medra the very next night, consumed by a powerful and long-suppressed hunger.

On Selection Day, the last day of the school year, all First-Year students gather in the Dragon Court to be sorted into one of the four houses. Medra and Florence, joined by Visha, watch as Regan is ostracized by her former friends. The ceremony begins, and Medra sees Blake by the Drakharrow dragon statue, trying to hide Neville in his bag. As expected, Medra is assigned to House Drakharrow. Blake has also arranged for Vaughn to be placed in their house. However, to everyone’s shock, Florence is selected for House Avari. A furious Blake tells Medra that he had put Florence on his list and will find out how the debacle happened. He asks Medra to meet him in the Dragon Court at midnight.

Medra meets Blake in the Dragon Court that night, and the scene returns to the events of the Prologue. Medra and Blake share an intense kiss, but the intimate moment turns to horror when Blake bites Medra’s neck without asking her and begins to feed. Medra shoves him away, furious at the violation. Blake reveals that her drinking his blood days earlier completed their magical bond, meaning that he can now only feed from her and that her body is compelled to respond. To prove that it’s the bond and not thrallweave—as he explicitly tells her—he commands her to stop, and her body freezes. He then bites her a second time, feeding deeply while she’s held by the bond’s compulsion. As her strength drains, a massive earthquake erupts. The stone dragon of House Avari, Nyxaris, cracks open and comes to life. Blake shields Medra from falling debris. The awakened dragon speaks to Medra telepathically, confirming that her ritual to free her mother’s soul instead freed him from his stone prison. Medra desperately tries to perform a bonding ritual by praising Nyxaris and offering the dragon her loyalty, but Nyxaris laughs at her, stating that he has heard such words from riders now long dead and will not fall for it again. He warns that he would have burned any other creature to ash for trying to bind him to them but spares Medra solely out of gratitude for freeing him. He flies off into the night sky, leaving Blake and Medra in the ruins as the world irrevocably changes.