Biórr travels with Ilska and the Raven-Feeders toward the Isbrún Bridge as Lik-Rifa descends from the sky. A swarm of tennúr emerges from a nearby hill, and the Raven-Feeders prepare for battle, but instead of attacking, the tennúr flock to Lik-Rifa. She reveals that the tennúr and all vaesen—or magical creatures—are her “children” and commands her followers not to harm them.

Lik-Rifa then speaks to the tennúr in their own language, instructing them to guard the bridge and to attack Ulfrir—her brother, the wolf—and all those with him when they arrive. She then transforms into her human form and uses her magic to make the Isbrún Bridge invisible, sealing the path behind them. She announces her intention to travel with Ilska and learn about the new world.

Orka arrives at Rotta’s chamber with Lif, the tennúr Vesli and Spert, and a Bloodsworn party led by the scout Edel. They discover a pile of corpses from the earlier battle, including trolls, skraelings, and humans stripped of their gear. Among the dead, Orka identifies a white-bearded, dragon-born warrior. Inside the mountain, they explore the dark chambers, finding Rotta’s altar with its broken chains, a room full of scrolls copied from Rotta’s Galdrabok, and the spot where Vol was captured.

In another room, Orka finds small straw mattresses and recognizes the scent of a place where children were held captive. Vesli and Spert confirm that her son, Breca, was there. Overwhelmed by grief and rage, Orka kneels by his mattress but finds no new clues to his location.

Guðvarr arrives in Darl with Skalk and the other survivors from the Grimholt. Skalk ensures that his party is separated from the others to control the story of what happened. In the city, they pass a gruesome display of executed dragon-worshippers.

At the fortress, Skalk reports to Queen Helka, her son Prince Hakon, Guðvarr’s aunt Jarl Sigrún, and an allied prince named Jaromir. Skalk claims the Bloodsworn tried to steal what he found but that he escaped with it. He then produces Orna’s talon from the chest he brought back and triumphantly restores it to the eagle god’s skeleton, which forms the longhouse roof. He also reveals that he possesses scrolls copied from Rotta’s Galdrabok, the Raudskinna. Guðvarr, witnessing these displays of power and deception, senses opportunity.

Elvar and the Battle-Grim are exhausted from their long march to the Isbrún Bridge. Huld challenges Elvar’s de facto leadership, demanding that they rest and formally choose a new chief. Uspa, the Seiðr-witch, intervenes, warning that they will be trapped for months if the bridge closes.

When they arrive at the place where they expect the bridge, they find it gone. The weakened wolf-god Ulfrir, forced by his thrall-collar to obey Elvar and the Battle-Grim, presses his bloodied palm to the granite rock and speaks words of challenge to Lik-Rifa; mist shapes of a wolf and a dragon clash over the pit, the wolf-mist destroying the dragon-mist, and the bridge reappears. Just as they finish crossing, the tennúr swarm from their nest and attack, focusing on Ulfrir. He transforms into his massive wolf form and, with help from Skuld, Uspa, and the Battle-Grim, fights them off.

As the Bloodsworn prepare to leave Rotta’s chamber, Orka spars with Lif, trying to teach him to fight. Their training is interrupted by the arrival of a dozen riders. Orka recognizes their raven-wing shields as the mark of Ilska’s Raven-Feeders. The group’s leader, a black-haired, dragon-born woman, reins in her horse when she sees the pile of corpses, her eyes fixing on a dead troll’s limbs protruding from the heap. She dismounts and runs to kneel before one specific corpse among the dead, then throws her head back and screams—revealing that he was her father.

Varg scouts ahead of the Bloodsworn as they approach Darl, using his wolf’s senses to range ahead of the column. He and Røkia signal the all-clear, and the Bloodsworn emerge from the treeline, Glornir leading them down toward the city. From a wooded vantage point, they make camp, and Glornir outlines his plan to infiltrate the Galdur tower at sunset to rescue Vol.

Orka steps out to confront the Raven-Feeders, and Lif follows despite her orders to stay back. Myrk, leading the Raven-Feeders, demands to know who killed her father. When Orka gives a dismissive answer, Myrk’s warriors attack. Orka, Lif, and Vesli fight back. Orka enters a battle-fury, channeling her inner wolf and killing three warriors in seconds. The Bloodsworn, seeing the fight, charge from the woods to join the battle.

The fight concludes with all Raven-Feeders dead except Myrk, whom Orka captures. During interrogation, Orka confirms that Myrk knows Drekr by showing her the seax she recovered from Thorkel’s body. Myrk, defiant, taunts Orka about her husband’s death. Enraged, Orka beats Myrk unconscious before she can get any information about Breca.

Edel tells Orka that the Raven-Feeders came from the north-west following the Boneback mountains, a path that leads to Lake Horndal and the trading town of Starl, and that is where she would head. Before departing with the rest of her crew, Edel grants permission for three Bloodsworn—Halja Flat-Nose, Gunnar Prow, and Revna Hare-Legs—to accompany Orka on her quest for vengeance and to find her son. As they prepare to leave, Vesli mourns that her pouch is too small to carry all the teeth from the new corpses.

Guðvarr is woken from a vivid nightmare by Yrsa, Skalk’s warrior. She escorts him to Queen Helka’s chamber, where he is summoned to give his account of the battle at the Grimholt. For his role in saving Skalk’s life, Helka rewards him with a heavy gold arm ring. After Guðvarr recounts his version of events—carefully omitting his own cowardice—Skalk tells Guðvarr he has a task for him.

Skalk leads Guðvarr and Yrsa through a secret tunnel connecting Queen Helka’s fortress to the Galdur tower. Skalk explains that he wants Guðvarr to befriend Prince Hakon and act as a spy, believing the prince is hiding something from his mother. Skalk threatens Guðvarr with magical torment should he betray him. Inside the tower, Guðvarr is disturbed to see various vaesen held in cages. He also sees the captive Seiðr-witch Vol, who has been brutally beaten and had her lips stitched shut.

Guðvarr is taken to a central chamber within the Galdur tower. To his horror, Skalk orders him strapped to a table. Skalk explains that to ensure Guðvarr’s loyalty, he will place a “spy within a spy” (209). He then uses his magic to command a female hyrndur—a large, wasp-like creature—to burrow into Guðvarr’s arm. The creature will live inside him, close to his heart, and will alert Skalk to any betrayal. Despite Guðvarr’s begging, Skalk gives the command, and Guðvarr screams in agony as the hyrndur tears into his flesh.

Varg, Svik, and two other Bloodsworn named Jökul and Æsa make their way through the crowded streets of Darl. They are one of several small groups infiltrating the city as part of Glornir’s plan to attack the Galdur tower at sunset and rescue Vol. As they near the tower, Varg feels a nervous anticipation, which his new companions help to calm. Jökul reminds him that Yrsa, the warrior who killed their companion Torvik, will likely be defending Skalk. Just as dusk settles, they hear a scream, the clash of steel, and a sudden explosion from the direction of the tower. They share a look and break into a run.