Starving and alone, Darcy tries to resist her Shadow Beast form. The dying star in the lake calls to her, and Darcy dives into the water to speak with it. Before dying and releasing its power into the world, the star reveals that her fate is tied to someone named Clydinius. Lavinia’s voice then commands Darcy to return through the curse’s power.

The Shadow Beast overtakes Darcy, forcing her to travel to the Palace of Souls. Lavinia leads Darcy to a chamber where Orion is on the brink of death. Lavinia explains that Orion made a Death bond with her, offering himself in exchange for breaking Darcy’s curse. Darcy is devastated by the news but enraged when Lavinia kisses him. She shifts into the Shadow Beast and breaks free, attacking and nearly killing Lavinia. Lavinia stops her when she commands the Shadow Beast to feed on Darcy’s Fae essence, accelerating the curse and weakening her. She then throws Darcy into the night iron cage in the throne room with Orion. As they cling to each other, Orion tells her that Gabriel was captured and that Darius is dead.

When Darcy later wakes in Orion’s arms, he notices her hair briefly shift back to its original blue. He tries to show her, but she remains withdrawn, convinced that she is becoming like Lavinia. Orion refuses to let her spiral and declares his love for her.

The conversation stops as the palace walls carry Lionel’s and Lavinia’s voices to them. Lionel is determined to make an example of the Vegas by executing Darcy and Gabriel. Orion searches for a way to break out of the cage as they storm into the room. He demands that Lavinia uphold her end of their deal, but she forces Darcy to step out of the cage anyway.

Stripped of her magic and bound by Lavinia’s shadows, Darcy is powerless as Lionel lifts her into the air and ignites flames beneath her feet. As she burns, Lavinia records the scene for the press. Darcy desperately claws for the last remnants of her magic and finally rips power away from the Shadow Beast. She unleashes an explosion of air magic that sends Lionel flying. Lavinia tightens her grip and forces the Shadow Beast to consume Darcy’s power before she can regain complete control. Lionel then recovers and beats Darcy. As she collapses against the throne, she finds a hidden knife, which she uses to stab him in the throat. Lionel rips the knife free and heals the wound. He is about to kill her with it, but Lavinia intervenes. She tells him that Darcy’s death is not his to claim and wonders why he’s been sexually ignoring her. Despite his frustration, he agrees to back off, and Darcy collapses.

The Death bond that Orion shares with Lavinia signals that if Darcy dies, so will both of them. Panicked, Lavinia commands Orion to heal Darcy. Once he does and she regains consciousness, Lavinia re-cuffs Orion’s magic and tells Darcy that Orion should belong to her. When Lavinia attempts to grope Orion, his body glows silver as the Elysian Mate bond repels her. Enraged, Lavinia strikes him with dark magic-infused weapons while forcing Darcy to watch.

Later, after Darcy is taken away, Orion is visited by his estranged mother, Stella, who offers him healing and begs for forgiveness. Orion, however, rejects her and says that she isn’t his family anymore. When Darcy returns, she tells Orion that she was subjected to a psychic invasion by Vard but that she managed to shield her important memories. Needing to confirm that her Fae magic still exists, Darcy urges Orion to drink her blood. He complies and affirms that her magic is still there, though weakened. Desperate for some solace, they have sex.

Leon and Dante search for Gabriel on the battlefield. When they find nothing, they decide to search underground in the ruins. As they head deeper, they hear whistling and find Zodiac Academy professor Brian Washer trapped under the rubble. Once freed, Washer tells them that Lionel has captured Gabriel and taken him to the palace.

Justin shelters in a storm cloud, which shields him from the nymphs and provides him with water. After several hours, his strength and magic finally give out, and he’s forced to descend. Below, he spots Mount Lyra and decides to land there. A horde of Nymphs emerges from the nearby forest, waiting for him with hungry eyes. With no means of escape, Justin steers his parachute toward the ruins to make a last stand.

At a war council, Tory and the Celestial Councillors argue as they question her leadership. The meeting is interrupted by Dante and Leon, who return with Brian and the news about Gabriel. Tory realizes that Lionel will use Vard to get the prophecies in Gabriel’s mind, but he knows that their best chance to defeat him is during an upcoming Hydrids meteor shower. Leon proposes heading out to sea to evade Lionel while waiting for the right moment to strike.

After the war council, Seth wanders alone through the ruins and runs into Rosalie Oscura, who teases him about his infatuation with Caleb. She directs him toward the belltower, where he finds Caleb and Tory embracing. Before he can storm off, Justin parachutes in and warns of an impending Nymph attack. The rebels scramble to prepare for battle. Seth, Caleb, and Tory use their combined abilities to attack the Nymphs with fire, vines, and ice.

In the aftermath, Tory tells Seth that the Shadow Beast was Darcy but warns him to keep it a secret. They then speak with a captured Nymph named Miguel Polaris, Diego’s father, and decide to take him prisoner for further questioning. Leon snaps and tells them that they all need to move, spurring a hasty evacuation toward the sea. Amid the chaos, Seth argues with Caleb again, angry over being wanted only when it’s convenient.

The rebels flee toward the sea. When Athena Capella challenges Xavier to a race, he finally gives in and shifts into his Pegasus form for the first time since the battle. Once the rebels arrive at the coastline, they all use their magic to break off a massive section of land, creating a floating island. Max and his father then summon the waves to carry them to sea. Geraldine declares their new sanctuary the “Rebels’ Undying Mighty Province” (355), or R.U.M.P., much to Seth’s horror.

Gabriel fights to block his visions from Vard, but his mental defenses eventually collapse, and the Seer rips the images from his mind. Lionel learns that the rebels are on a floating island, but their randomized movements keep their exact location hidden from him. Lionel drags Gabriel to Orion, hoping to use Gabriel’s visions of the future to get a better look at Orion’s fate. Gabriel has a vision of Orion finding a secret passage in the palace leading to lost Vega artifacts and an ancient book bound in bronze feathers, which is key to defeating Lionel. He hides this from Vard but succeeds in telepathically passing the information to Orion.

The rebels establish their floating island stronghold, and Geraldine uses her earth magic to construct a castle for the rebellion’s leadership. She then pushes Tory to begin forming an official court, and Tory names her, Sofia, Tyler, and the family of Dante Oscura. Tory also suggests that Washer should take on the role of liaison for the rebel army. When Geraldine leaves, Tory finally breaks down. Caleb arrives and pushes her to take action instead of wallowing in her pain, reminding her that she needs to save Darcy. They then set out for the Library of the Lost, hoping to uncover something that might lead them to her.

Their journey takes them to a remote lake, where Tory invokes her Vega lineage to demand entry. When no response comes, she plunges into the lake with Caleb, and several creatures attack. Tory is nearly eaten by one of them, but she unleashes an explosion of Phoenix fire that destroys it just before she loses consciousness. Caleb rescues her, and as they emerge from the lake, a hidden island rises from the depths, revealing the entrance to the library.

Tyler discovers a news article in The Celestial Times filled with propaganda from Gus Vulpecula, painting Darius as a villain who tried to overthrow Lionel out of jealousy. Xavier’s anger finally breaks through his grief, and he vows to destroy Vulpecula for spreading lies about his brother. Sofia and Tyler remind him that the truth will prevail, and Tyler promises to publish a counter-article in The Daily Solaria. Xavier finally lets himself reconnect with them, and the trio have sex. However, even as he tries to find solace with them, he is unable to fully let go and cannot climax. He tries to retreat into himself again, but Tyler instead leads him to a shed, hands him a sledgehammer, and tells him to unleash his rage. Sofia uses her illusion magic to transform the shed into Lionel’s office, and Xavier destroys everything. Finally, he faces an illusion of Lionel and hits him between the eyes.

Tory and Caleb enter the Library of the Lost to face the irritated librarians. Tory demands entry using her royal titles and threatens to burn her way in with Phoenix fire. Caleb then attempts to smooth things over by explaining the rebellion against Lionel and their desperate need for knowledge. His speech ultimately convinces the head librarian to grant them access.

Tory and Caleb tell them that they need a way to track a missing person using dark magic. Arnold, their Minotaur guide, warns them about the danger but ultimately agrees to take them to the labyrinth where forbidden knowledge is kept. They eventually reach a staircase leading deeper underground. Below, Tory and Caleb find five tomes corresponding to each of the Elements, plus one ominous black book labeled “Ether.” Ignoring Caleb’s warnings, Tory opens it, releasing a blast of power that steals their magic. Inside, she finds soul-walking magic, which can be used to track a person. She also finds a passage that says, “Even fate can be rewritten. Ether is the master of all magic. Those who master it, master the world itself” (457). The lights then flicker out, plunging them into darkness.

Strange, insect-like creatures emerge from the shadows to confront Tory and Caleb and tell them they cannot leave. The only thing protecting the pair is a fading pentagram on the floor. Tory creates a bag from enchanted leaves, and Caleb tosses the five tomes inside. As he grabs the final book, the pentagram’s power collapses, and the creatures attack. Tory retaliates with a blast of Phoenix fire, giving them time to escape back into the labyrinth. They are trapped without Arnold to guide them, and the creatures are closing in. Tory orders Caleb to bite her so that he can regain his power. He refuses, citing his promise to Darius not to do so, but Tory reminds him that there’s no point in respecting his wishes if it will kill them. Caleb reluctantly feeds enough from Tory to reignite his Vampire power. With no way out, they use their magic to destroy the creatures. Tory then breaks through the labyrinth’s enchanted ceiling. They rise through the library halls and land in the main chamber, where the librarians watch in horror. Tory mocks their hospitality, and they leave with their bag of stolen books, calling Geraldine to pick them up.