The king berates Teren for publicly threatening Lady Gemma, the daughter of an important house. He is furious that Teren has caught no Elites and threatens to behead him. Teren watches the queen and feels both excitement and trepidation about “the game they play” (172). He reflects on how they threatened Gemma on purpose to goad on the citizens’ unrest.

During a terrible storm, Adelina reports to the cavern for training by Enzo. He wants her to practice the command of her powers despite fear (he traps her within walls of fire) and distraction (he continually physically attacks her with daggers). She is soon exhausted; though she produces illusions, she cannot control them consistently. When she weeps, he grows disgusted and starts to leave. Adelina pulls herself up and creates a massive set of black wings for herself. When he turns to see her, she changes the wings into shards of glass and sends them flying through him. Enzo challenges her to make something that includes color. She creates a rose, and when he tries to grasp it, she makes the illusion of blood on his hand from the thorns. He praises her; she insists she is ready to help with his goals.

Adelina watches Teren in a distant city square after the storm. He tells onlookers the gods punished them with the storm for allowing a malfetto to race. Then, he burns three young malfetto teens to death. The next day, angry citizens take it upon themselves to destroy a malfetto shop.

Enzo increases the pace of Adelina’s training and enlists Michel’s help in teaching her how to “paint” her illusions realistically. Gemma teaches Adelina how to quiet distracting thoughts to better concentrate. Gemma thanks Adelina for saving her in the square. Raffaele teaches her how to find her way in the catacombs and tunnels under the city. He shows her a lovely view of the city and sings a song her mother used to sing. Adelina wants to continue to build friendships with the Daggers and focus on helping their efforts in Estenzia. But to do so, she must rescue Violetta and stop being Teren’s spy.

Sparring with Enzo in a training session, Adelina tries to fight off his attack by gripping his dagger and turning it on him. He pulls her wrist away and chastises her for “forgetting” his other hand’s dagger, but she reveals that the dagger he saved himself from is just an illusion and that she holds the real one in her other hand. This makes him smile, and Adelina feels strongly attracted to him. She almost tells him about spying for Teren but cannot. Enzo almost kisses her; Adelina cannot tell if it is a test or not. He leaves without commenting on the moment.

In the cavern, Raffaele discusses with Enzo how Adelina will soon control others’ behavior based on her illusions. Enzo thinks she will be incredible, but Raffaele is still wary that she will be more powerful than any of them, even Enzo. Raffaele senses Enzo’s passion for Adelina and reminds Enzo that Adelina is not Daphne, a young woman with whom Enzo fell in love but who died. Enzo does not remark on this but tells Raffaele that Adelina will accompany the Daggers to the Spring Moons festival.

Adelina recalls that when she was 13, her father pretended to be kind to her for several weeks. He took her on outings and paid her the same kind of attention he paid Violetta. Each day, however, he asked her to show her powers; she tried but could never do it. He gave up, calling her “worthless” and returning to his cruel neglect of her. She was bitter that Violetta witnessed it.

Spring Moons is a seasonal festival. Ships wait in the harbor loaded with fireworks to be set off in celebration. The Daggers intend to set them off early and unexpectedly. The city is filled with energy, revelers, food, and music. Inquisitors guard every bridge. Enzo escorts Adelina toward the harbor as if they are a couple. He is dressed in disguise like other revelers—a forest fae with a crown of thorns covering his hair. She is in Tamouran silks and her half-mask—his consort. On the way to the dock, they pass through a street party of music and dancing. Enzo pauses and dances with Adelina. Her attraction to him increases. She tells herself it is just part of the ruse.

Near the piers, Enzo touches two Inquisitors; they die, burned inside by his fire hands. Adelina constructs the illusion of a pier with two living Inquisitors, which she and Enzo hide behind. Nearby, Michel “unravels” Enzo’s flames and reconstitutes them on board the fireworks ships. The thought of innocent people perishing distracts Adelina—and a vision of her father’s ghost mocks her weakness. Her illusion fades. She runs to the next pier and creates the illusion of countless blue-robed Daggers. In the resulting chaos, the real Daggers kill many Inquisitors. The ships explode in a chain reaction.

The crowd panics, though some cheer the explosions as a Dagger act of defiance. Adelina ducks into an alley; Teren grabs her by the throat, insisting on information. Adelina begs for a week. Teren gives her three days. Dante and Enzo arrive and attack Teren with arrows and flames, but Teren heals miraculously—Adelina realizes he is a Young Elite. Dante pulls her away; his tone suggests he witnessed her struggle with Teren.