The Raven watches as Neema and Cain climb the stairs to the imperial suite where Yasila and her youngest daughter, Nisthala, reside. It then flies upward to spy on Yasila, who angrily sweeps to distract herself from the soon-approaching interview. Between sweeping, she wields the broom like a weapon, practicing the Dragon-specific martial arts she studied while living on Helia. After losing Yana, she’s become super overprotective of Nisthala and worries Neema and Cain will pose a threat to her daughter.

When asked about Gaida’s death, Yasila explains that she met Gaida on that balcony before her death because she said she had “vital information about a shared enemy” (294). Gaida was planning to take down Bersun, but Yasila told Gaida to leave it alone. After learning Neema saw her on the balcony, Yasila went straight to Vabras and told him everything to ensure he and the emperor knew Yasila was innocent.

Neema now knows Bersun knew of Gaida’s plotting prior to her performance and likely ordered her death. Neema believes the murderer was perhaps an attendee of Gaida’s afterparty, which would have allowed them access to her tea. However, Bersun would have wanted it to look like a death of natural causes, so as not to cause suspicion—which leads Neema and Cain to believe that perhaps the murderer and the knife thief are two separate people. Neema believes Bersun doesn’t want them to find Gaida’s killer, but the knife thief who ruined it all. This new information challenges everything Neema thought she knew about Bersun.

Neema tells Yasila that she was drugged with Dragonscale, which Yasila deems impossible. The only people who have ever had access to Dragonscale beyond the Dragons are herself and Yana. Yasila hypothesizes, with evident glee, that perhaps the Dragons wish to kill Neema.

While Neema and Cain leave for the Festival Square to prepare for Neema’s next fight against Tala, the Raven spies on Yasila. Yasila thinks of the Festival and how she hopes Visitor Pyke will kill Ruko on the fight platform. She had invited him to do so. In return for killing her son, she will return herself and all their Dragonscale oil to Helia.

The Raven slips into the room when Yasila is with her daughter Nisthala. Nisthala is unwell and covered in repeating burns of the eternal eight marking her as a Chosen child of the Dragon. She should have been taken to Helia years ago, but Yasila has kept her far away from the island.

The Raven flies to the Festival Square where Neema lies in a heap on the ground after a powerful blow from Tala. The Raven begs her to let it in, to give it control once again. Neema, shocked and disturbed by the Raven’s prodding, shuts it out entirely and drags herself up.

While Tala wins two rounds and Neema wins only one, her determination to honor the Day of the Raven for her community gains reluctant admiration from many. Bristling from being spurned, the Raven flies up to a higher perch on the imperial balcony, where it overhears a conversation between Bersun and Vabras. It reveals that they had planned to kill Neema when she began poking around, but killing two Raven contenders in two days would cause even more suspicion.

They decide if Neema finds the thief, they will execute them, but if she fails or learns too much, they’ll execute her. While Bersun is fond of Neema, it is clear that he will do whatever necessary to protect his secrets. Bersun then regards Ruko. He claims the sacrificing of his sister was the key to shaping him into the perfect tyrant-in-waiting.

After Vabras leaves, Bersun hums the tune “Come to the Mountain,” the same song Gaida performed at the opening ceremony. The song causes a tugging sensation on the Raven, which barely manages to fly away.

Kindry Rok hosts the Raven Trial—a three-hour written exam drafted by Neema—in the imperial library. Before the exam, Shal calls Neema over and apologizes for judging her harshly the day before. She apologizes, too, relieved to be back in his good graces. Cain is given a 15-minute handicap on the exam because Katsan argues he knows Neema’s mind too well and will have an advantage. Thus, he and Neema spend those 15 minutes outside simply sitting in each other’s company.

While the other contenders are busy with the exam, Neema leaves a note for Gaida’s servant Navril, asking for a list of everyone who attended Gaida’s afterparty, certain the killer will be among them.

Neema visits her old room next, where she remembers the hidden compartment Cain made in her bed skirting years ago. She opens it to reveal Yaan Rack’s report of his expulsion of Neema and a biography of the Bear abbot, Brother Lanrick. A note is left within the pages addressed to Neema herself, leaving the book to her in case Gaida doesn’t survive. Neema reads the passages Gaida has highlighted.

With shock and dismay, Neema discovers that Bersun is a fraud. The real Bersun was killed in Andren’s uprising, and Gaida hypothesized he was discreetly replaced by his brother Gedrun. Neema further suspects that the purges of the court were likely to get rid of anyone who couldn’t be bribed to stay silent should they recognize the difference between the brothers. Neema soon realizes she never knew the real Bersun, and wonders what Gedrun wants now that his reign is coming to an end.

Before leaving, she retrieves one last thing from the compartment—her first anniversary present from Cain, a silver pendant with a Fox on one side, a Raven on the other. While she wishes she could turn back time and make a different decision—i.e., leave the island with Cain instead of inscribing the Order of Exile and elevating her station—she knows she cannot.

Neema plans the way forward: She needs to escape the island and find proof of Gedrun’s deceit to bring to the next emperor before Gedrun kills her.

Ruko wins first place in the Raven Trial. Neema visits the Fox palace to gain an audience with Abbot Fort. She asks him to secure her safe passage off the island. He only agrees because it is less of a distraction to Cain to have her gone. That afternoon, Shal and Ruko fight. Ruko takes the win, but Shal manages to survive the full three rounds. Havoc and Katsan follow, their duel ending in a draw.

When Neema returns to her apartment, she gives Benna the day off to enjoy the Festival. While she hopes this will give her time to gather her things to leave the island that night, she is surprised by a dress delivery and an invitation to a celebration honoring the memory of Gaida Rack. The dressmaker, Grace, helps Neema because Benna is not around to do so. While she does, she mentions the night Benna tried to sell her Neema’s dress. Grace claims she refused to buy it back at all after Neema was publicly dismissed by the emperor while wearing it. Neema wonders how Benna got the 19 silver tiles.

At the memorial celebration for Gaida, Abbot Fort informs Neema that five Hound warships have appeared around the island to patrol the waters and his boat cannot get through. She will not be escaping tonight.

The emperor approaches Neema while she sits on a bench removed from the party. He immediately knows from her behavior that she knows something incriminating. He informs her that Vabras will take over the investigation. When she realizes he plans to kill her soon for knowing the truth, she begs him to let her go and open a school back home in Scartown. He refuses and instead escorts her into the party, telling her to enjoy the evening. When dinner consists of all Neema’s favorite courses, she becomes resigned to the fact that this is one last night, “a thank you from the emperor, before he killed her” (344). Many of her peers notice her strange behavior. Cain even switches seats to inquire about her, but she brushes him off.

Eventually, the emperor addresses the crowd. He tells them that riots and protests have begun across the empire. He has called the Leviathan warships in because he believes if he doesn’t take action, Orrun will break out in civil war. He states that they will now have two Trials a day to conclude the Festival in three days’ time and crown the next ruler of Orrun more quickly. He also announces his disappointment in the fights and states that, starting tomorrow, no shields will be allowed and no forfeits. All rounds are to be fought until the time runs out, with no holding back.

When Vabras announces the schedule for the next day, Neema begins laughing. She is lined up to fight Ruko in the morning and Katsan in the afternoon, which gives two perfect opportunities for her to die in the fighting ring and put an end to the emperor’s problems.