At dusk in a forest clearing, Rhordyn butchers a boar over a campfire. He detects fresh human scents—a man, a woman, and something new and sweet—and soon a couple with a baby emerges. The man refers to Rhordyn as “Master” and drops to his knees. Rhordyn gives them his dagger and orders them to retreat to their storage bunker until sunrise. Once they flee, he smears himself with the boar’s blood, tosses offal into the trees and brook, and suspends the carcass over the fire.

As the meat roasts, Rhordyn recalls Orlaith’s angry declaration that she hates him. He prods the boar, noting its juices are the same color as Orlaith’s daily blood offering. When a Vruk charges him from behind, Rhordyn whirls and slashes it through the chest and throat, killing it instantly. Seven more hulking Vruks emerge from the tree line and charge.

Orlaith wakes before dawn with a caspun hangover. Recalling that she filled Rhordyn’s goblet the previous night despite his absence, she checks her secret floor compartment, confirming that her supply of Exothryl is gone. Furious at Rhordyn and herself, she drinks water, chews ginger and peppermint for her headache, then contemptuously pours the pink contents of the goblet onto the floor.

Orlaith navigates Stony Stem and emerges on the eastern castle grounds, grounding herself by pressing her bare feet into damp soil. Realizing she is near the hidden window from the day before, she throws a rock, shattering the glass. Climbing through into the storage room below, she lights a candle and uncovers a pink wardrobe, a bassinet with yellowed blankets, and a chest full of gems. Beneath the gems, she finds a leather-bound book titled Te Bruk o’ Avalanste.

Orlaith takes the book, then pulls the cloth from a nearby painting. It depicts a man, a woman, and a joyful little girl with long gray hair, all walking on a hill with a storm approaching. Overcome with guilt, she replaces the sheets and dubs the space “the Grave.” Back in her tower, she ignores Baze’s knocking and, when he yells from the grounds, dumps her pitcher of water on him.

Frustrated by the unreadable picture book, Orlaith visits Kai at Bitten Bay. He emerges from the water, concerned by her unwell appearance. When she mentions the sugar kelp he gave her a year ago, he realizes she used it to make Exothryl. Deeply disappointed, he inspects her mouth, eyes, and hair, warning that overdosing can cause heart failure. She confesses that Rhordyn confiscated her stash.

Orlaith shows Kai the book, which he identifies as an original edition of The Book of Making, written in ancient Valish. Shocked at Orlaith’s lack of knowledge about the world, he explains the creation myths within and the origins of each species, including Ocean Drakes, Irilaks, Aeshlians, and Vruks. When Kai warns that Irilaks feed on fear and lure children to their deaths, Orlaith is surprised, thinking of her own interactions with Shay. She points to an illustration of an Aeshlian woman, which triggers a memory of a recurring dream of a little boy with crystal eyes. Kai says that only a few Aeshilian still survive, and insists the story is too distressing to tell Orlaith. Orlaith shows interest in illustrations of Bjorn, God of Balance, transforming into a Vruk. Kai says a Vruk’s talons are lethally sharp and gives Orlaith one as a protective weapon. Returning to the castle, Orlaith vomits, disturbed by the talon’s deadly capabilities.

That night, Orlaith dreams of being attacked by slashing beasts and wakes screaming. Rhordyn, having returned to the castle, enters and dismisses Baze. Discovering Orlaith is nearly out of caspun, he realizes the severity of her withdrawal. She is burning up, and her nose is bleeding. He sits on the bed, pulls her against his cold body, and rocks her. Giving her the last two drops of caspun, he promises to send for more. He announces he will ration her supply from now on.

Rhordyn pulls a blanket over Orlaith as she starts to shiver and wraps his arms around her. Shocked, Orlaith asks why he is hugging her. He tells her to go to sleep, and, exhausted, she complies.

Orlaith wakes to find Rhordyn gone, but his scent lingers on her pillow. Realizing it is laundry day and Tanith will strip the bed, she hides the scented pillow slip in her secret floor compartment. After dressing for training, she descends to the dining hall, hoping Rhordyn might be there. Baze greets her frostily, noting she is two hours late. She accuses him of telling Rhordyn about the Exothryl, which his guilty expression confirms.

Orlaith tells Baze she is out of caspun, which shocks him. He correctly deduces she has been using it as a preventative and relying on Exothryl to counteract the comedown. She spots rouge on Baze’s collar matching a nearby servant’s blush, and he winks, calling it a souvenir. She asks about his jewel-encrusted ring, and he hints that Rhordyn gave it to him. Baze then insists they get moving for training.

As they walk to their training spot, Orlaith boasts that she kicked Rhordyn in the groin. They hear a woman’s giggle followed by Rhordyn’s deep, familiar laugh. Orlaith runs through the garden and finds Rhordyn standing among her roses with Zali, High Mistress of the East, a tall and striking woman. Seeing Rhordyn smile at Zali fills Orlaith with jealousy. When Baze tries to restrain her, she kicks him in the kneecap.

Rhordyn’s smile vanishes as Orlaith stalks forward, and they lock gazes in a silent battle. Rhordyn’s nostrils flare as he looks at her neck, emitting a low rumble that affects Orlaith physically, heating her body. She leans toward him, but Baze coughs, breaking the moment. Rhordyn steps back, introducing Zali. Orlaith greets Zali rudely.

Rhordyn drags Orlaith behind a hedge and admonishes her for being rude and immature. He tells her that his hug meant nothing. Orlaith notices the cupla around his wrist, which he usually reserves for special occasions. She asks if he is courting Zali. After a pause, Rhordyn says he is considering giving Zali his cupla—a sign of betrothal. Heartbroken, Orlaith asks if Zali is his “true love.” Rhordyn laughs darkly and says that true love only exists in fairy tales. He warns her not to believe romantic stories, or she will be disappointed when she steps into the real world. His words wound Orlaith deeply, and she cries. Rhordyn orders her to attend dinner that night, telling her not to be late.

That evening, Orlaith deliberately arrives for dinner covered in mud and horse manure, leaving dirty footprints. The dining table is set intimately for four at one end. She is a half hour late, but Zali is even later. When Zali arrives looking elegant, Orlaith waves and cheerfully announces that the manure smell is coming from her. Zali smiles at Rhordyn as if sharing a private joke, which tightens Orlaith’s chest. Orlaith sarcastically calls Zali “Mother,” causing Zali to choke on her wine. Orlaith snatches the goblet and drinks all the wine in one gulp.

Rhordyn stops Baze from intervening, watching the scene with apparent enjoyment. When Orlaith says her anxiety stems from being raised by only males, Zali leans in and whispers that Orlaith deserves a medal, disarming her. Rhordyn places his bread roll on Orlaith’s plate and commands her to eat. Zali offers her a dampened napkin to clean her hands of manure. She eats the bread with cinnamon-nut butter, finding it divine. She looks up to find Rhordyn watching her enjoyment with a haunted, intense expression.

The sound of Zali unsheathing her knife to cut the bread triggers Orlaith’s trauma. Rhordyn instantly snatches the blade, cutting his own hand, and hides it in his napkin. He watches Orlaith for her response. She forces herself to remain calm and excuses herself, saying she has lost her appetite. As she leaves, Rhordyn calls out that he will be up in 30 minutes.

In her room, Orlaith paces, questioning her life of giving blood to Rhordyn—a man who has given nothing in return. In a fit of anger, she decides not to perform the nightly ritual. She sets the goblet and pin aside and pretends to read Te Bruk o’ Avalanste.

After 30 minutes, Rhordyn unlocks and opens her door, pauses in silence, then closes it and leaves. Five minutes later, Baze arrives and asks if she has forgotten something. Orlaith says she has not, then tells him to tell Rhordyn he can “go fuck himself” (188) or Zalia. She throws the book at Baze, who catches it, and screams at him to get out. After slamming the door, she regrets throwing the stolen book, now in Baze’s possession. She looks in the mirror, feeling disconnected from her reflection, thinking about why she no longer attends Tribunals: she dislikes people speculating about why Rhordyn chose to spare her.

Heavy footsteps blast up the stairs, and the door flies off its hinges. Rhordyn storms in, slams Orlaith against the wall, and snarls that she denies him. She claims that she forgot, but he knows she is lying. He presses two sharp teeth against her neck, as if about to bite her. Orlaith instinctively exposes her neck. The pressure abates, and Rhordyn demands the truth. She confesses she was jealous of Zali. Rhordyn whispers that he is “greedy,” like Orlaith. He takes her pin, fires it in the hearth, retrieves the goblet, and returns. He pricks her pinkie finger—the most painful one—and dips it into the water, turning it pink. When Orlaith asks why he needs her blood, he tells her to look at him. His eyes are like “death.” Rhordyn says she is not ready to hear why he must lock her door. He warns her not to “forget” again and leaves. That night, Orlaith dreams of being bitten and torn apart by giant creatures.

Orlaith wakes drenched in sweat from nightmares. She tends her balcony plants, including a sagging fig tree named Limp Leaf and a willow sapling whose roots are outgrowing its pot. It is a Planting Day, so she takes the willow to the stagnant pond and plants it nearby. She then collects pond mud for mortar before entering the dining hall for breakfast. Rhordyn and Baze are present; Rhordyn’s stare is frosty. She learns that Zali left in the night but will return for the ball.

Orlaith and Rhordyn engage in a tense, flirtatious standoff as she eats grapes provocatively. He ends it by thudding Te Bruk o’ Avalanste onto the table. Orlaith confesses to breaking into the storage room and taking the book to Kai. Rhordyn calls the book and its gods “bullshit,” then throws the ancient text into the fireplace. Orlaith watches, horrified and heartbroken, as the pages burn.

Orlaith is suddenly overcome by intense internal heat. She begins removing layers of clothing, feeling suffocated. Baze notices her strange behavior, but Rhordyn recognizes the cause. His expression becomes cold and aware; his nostrils flare, and his hands grip his chair. He orders Baze out and tells him to clear the north wing of all males. When Orlaith snarls at Tanith approaching Rhordyn, he growls at her to yield, his forceful command snuffing out a table candle. He orders Tanith to draw a cold bath, arrange for meals to be sent to Orlaith’s tower for a week, and prepare rags.

Rhordyn tells Orlaith there will be no training because she is going into heat. Stunned, she asks if she can stop it; he says no. He orders her to her tower and to stay there, adding that he will be in his room, alone, with the door locked. She reluctantly agrees. As she leaves, he tells her that her handmaiden will now collect her nightly offering, a significant change to their personal ritual.