The narrative returns to the present in the refectory. Viktor watches as Cade completely turns due to the plague. Viktor gives Blake a choice of whom Cade will feed on—Medra or the traitorous Professor Allenvale—as a test of whether Blake will do “what’s really necessary” (358). Viktor’s ultimate demand is that Blake transform and fly to Veilmar to burn it to the ground, eliminating the plague and Viktor’s political enemies in one stroke. Blake scoffs that the transformation is impossible since the ritual destroyed the dragon in him, but privately he senses something still shifting under his skin. 

Blake refuses to become Viktor’s “monster.” In response, Viktor orders his guards to throw Professor Allenvale to Cade, who immediately begins to devour her. The professor’s agonizing screams trigger a violent transformation in Blake. The dragon spirit he thought was destroyed, Vorago, erupts from within him. As Vorago, Blake ends Allenvale’s suffering with a blast of fire, incinerating her and Cade. In his mind, Blake accuses Vorago of tricking him. Vorago tells Blake that he only offered “release,” it was Blake who spoke the incantation. Vorago now urges Blake to fly to Veilmar to save Medra, Blake’s “mate” and Vorago’s “rider.” Vorago says Medra is irreplaceable and cities must fall to protect her. Ignoring Blake’s pleas to spare the innocent population of Veilmar, Vorago smashes through the refectory wall and flies toward the city.

Medra watches Blake’s horrifying transformation into a red dragon. As he takes flight, Viktor grabs her, using her as a human shield. Medra feels a surge of power and heightened reflexes—a side effect of the blood Blake gave her earlier.

Suddenly, Visha Vaidya, Vaughn, and Professor Sankara storm the refectory, followed by Lysander Orphos leading a group of his own students. A battle erupts against Viktor’s Bloodguards. In the chaos, Medra breaks free and confronts Viktor. He reveals draconic talons and wounds her, but the power from Blake’s blood allows her to fight back and heal quickly. As their duel continues, the roar of Nyxaris shakes the castle. Unwilling to face a second dragon, Viktor vanishes without a trace.

In the Avari tower infirmary, Regan is recovering from her head wound under Kage’s protection. Medra’s group arrives, and Theo furiously confronts Regan, blaming her and her oppressive policies for the night’s chaos. Kage steps in to defend Regan from Theo’s accusations.

Theo reveals the terrible news: Viktor forced Blake to transform into a dragon, and the dragon has flown to Veilmar to burn the city. To prove his claim, Theo tells them to look out a window. The entire group rushes to a window overlooking the sea and is met with the horrific sight of Veilmar consumed by fire, with a crimson dragon circling above it.

Seeing Veilmar burn, Florence communicates with Nyxaris. Nyxaris reveals that the dragon destroying the city is not Blake’s original spirit but Vorago, an ancient and uncontrollably savage Inferni who was imprisoned in stone against his will—bound there by Nyxaris, Molindra, and Alabryss. Blake, in a “fool’s bargain,” must have accidentally unleashed Vorago.

Resolved to stop the destruction, Florence prepares for battle. Her friends rally to help her. Visha gives Florence her leather armor, and Lysander provides his sister Lunaya’s crossbow. Professor Rodriguez supplies two types of specialized bolts: some coated in Godsbane, a substance that can pierce dragon hide, and others coated in a mixture of emberfern and mirthleaf, kept strictly separate. Lysander announces that Allenvale had been funding an uprising nurtured by House Orphos before Viktor had her killed. The plan is for Nyxaris to wound Vorago with dragon fire, creating an opening for Florence to shoot the emberfern bolts into the wound in the hope of reaching whatever is left of Blake’s consciousness.

Florence meets Nyxaris on the Avari tower parapet, where Neville insists on joining them. They fly to Veilmar and witness Vorago’s brutal destruction. 

Nyxaris wounds Vorago with a blast of his fire. As Florence fires an emberfern bolt into the wound, Neville begins to sing a strange, soothing melody. The combination of the bolt and the song seems to reach Vorago, who falters and retreats out over the sea. Just as Florence feels a moment of relief, a second Inferni dragon—this one with black-veined, corrupted wings—appears in the sky. Nyxaris immediately identifies the new threat as Viktor.

Regan rides toward Veilmar on Kage’s back, who has shifted into his massive wolf form. They navigate the burning, rubble-strewn streets, witnessing the horrifying aftermath of Vorago’s attack. They arrive at the ruins of the Avari compound just as Vorago retreats from the city, driven off by the combined efforts of Nyxaris, Florence, and Neville.

Their relief is short-lived as Viktor appears in his corrupted dragon form. Regan and Kage ascend Peacebringer’s Hill, the highest point in Veilmar, to watch the ensuing battle. From their vantage point, they see Nyxaris and Florence engage Viktor. Nyxaris lands a destructive blow, setting Viktor’s wing on fire. The wounded Inferni plummets from the sky, his trajectory aimed directly at the base of the hill where they stand. Regan and Kage race down to intercept the crash.

Despite being aflame, Viktor launches a surprise counterattack, ramming Nyxaris and biting deep into his throat. The bite inflicts a poisoned, rapidly spreading wound. Though grievously injured, Nyxaris retaliates with a final, powerful blast of fire that sends Viktor falling toward the city.

Bleeding profusely from the foul-smelling wound, Nyxaris lands in a nearby field, telling Florence he is dying. Nyxaris reveals that he has known Viktor from long ago, Viktor being the “remnant of a former world” (405). Nyxaris tried to destroy the evil Viktor before, but the highblood is nearly indestructible in his dragon form. As Nyxaris bids Florence goodbye, Neville hacks up a wad of chewed emberfern. Florence realizes the field is full of the plant. Ignoring Nyxaris’s protests that the poison is too strong, she frantically gathers the emberfern and applies it to the gash. The herb begins to slow the bleeding and knit the flesh together, but Nyxaris loses consciousness. As Florence keeps applying the salve, Neville leaps onto the dragon and begins to glow, summoning a powerful healing magic.

Back at Bloodwing, Medra discovers that Silvio Santos and his House Mortis loyalists have barricaded the main doors, refusing to let in the blightborn refugees fleeing Veilmar. Flanked by Visha, Lysander, Theo, and other allies, Medra confronts Silvio. She delivers a powerful speech, denouncing Viktor’s tyranny and urging the students to reject the old highblood supremacist order.

When words fail, Medra uses her blood-enhanced speed to disarm Silvio. In a decisive move, Lysander announces that House Mortis boundaries are dissolved and its students may join other houses; Visha declares that students supporting highblood supremacy are expelled from House Drakharrow; Evie speaks for House Avari. Faced with this united front, the highblood loyalists, including Quinn Riley, are expelled from the main houses. The revolution now underway, Medra and her allies clear the barricade and open the doors to the refugees.

Regan and Kage find Viktor wounded but alive, his body a monstrous mix of highblood and dragon. Kage attacks Viktor in his wolf form but Viktor overpowers Kage, ripping Kage’s flank with his talons. As Viktor prepares to kill Kage, Regan makes a desperate sacrifice. She pretends to betray Kage and submit to Viktor, groveling for his forgiveness.

As Viktor falls for the trick and reaches for Regan, she bares her fangs and first bites Viktor’s wrist hard, opening a wound, then slams her own bleeding wrist against Viktor’s wound, introducing the wolf blood into his bloodstream (Regan had wolf blood because of her Blood Vow with Kage). The wolf blood becomes a fast-acting poison in Viktor’s draconic veins, making his flesh blister. Enraged and realizing her deception, Viktor slashes her throat. Kage shifts back to his human form and rushes to Regan’s side as darkness takes her. Still, she succeeded in poisoning her tormentor.

Medra finds Blake in his room, sitting on the windowsill, preparing to jump to his death. He is tormented by guilt over the people he killed as Vorago and believes he is a monster who must be destroyed to keep Medra safe. He tries to push her away and release her from their bond, but she refuses to leave.

Medra declares her unconditional love for Blake, insisting that they are bound together forever and will face the consequences of his actions as a team. She physically pulls him back from the ledge and holds him. Just then, Vaughn, Professor Sankara, and Rodriguez burst in with chains, intending to imprison Blake before Vorago can reemerge. The attempt to restrain him triggers another transformation. Blake’s eyes flash, he whispers for Medra to run, and then Vorago’s roar erupts from him. He breaks the chains, transforms into the red dragon in midair, and flies away into the sunrise.