The next morning, Tiernon moves Arvelle into the imperiums’ quarters and clarifies that sigilmarked can only provide vampires temporary relief from the sun. He admits to having affairs during their separation, including once with Orna.

In a corridor, Arvelle encounters Bran and notes that his appearance has severely deteriorated; she suspects that he has grown addicted to the sigilmarked’s tonics, which let him walk in the sun. He orders her to assassinate Emperor Vallius at a Vampire Council dinner two nights hence. Arvelle resolves to warn Leon of this development.

In the training hall, tension runs high between vampire and sigilmarked novices after the emperor’s brutal punishment of several sigilmarked emissaries. Kaeso, who is a vampire, angrily confronts Arvelle, claiming that the sigilmarked refuse to help vampires who have “sun madness.” During a subsequent conversation with Maeva, Arvelle’s shield power begins manifesting uncontrollably, and she exits before anyone can notice.

In a corridor, she struggles to control her power and suddenly hears disembodied voices pleading for help. She suspects that she is being haunted by ghosts, as she has felt this presence before. Wanting to research her new power, she seeks out Jorah and asks him to guide her to the hidden library he once mentioned. Although novices are not allowed there without vampire supervision, he complies, and once there, she discovers a book about Noxdraught poison and learns that Mortuus, the god of death, escapes his cage every 25 years. She sees his mark and realizes that she saw it carved on a statue, on Tiberius Cotta’s bracelet, and on the body of the murdered gladian Gradon. She also notes a workspace set up with a number of books, one of which causes her eyes to bleed when she reads it. Despite not knowing the language, she finds that she is able to decipher the book’s meaning. Inadvertently, she leaves a bloody fingerprint on a page.

Suddenly, Rorrik enters the library, prompting Arvelle to hide. He attempts to read the same ancient text, which also causes his eyes to bleed, and Arvelle realizes that he cannot decipher it like she could. He destroys furniture in a rage. Just as he detects Arvelle’s blood and orders her to reveal herself, Tiernon arrives. In the ensuing confrontation, Rorrik uses fire against Arvelle, who instinctively counters with water. He reveals that she absorbs powers from those she kills, and she understands that Antigrus’s shield and Tiberius’s water magic are both hers now. Tiernon realizes that she killed Tiberius and that Bran is forcing her to serve as an assassin. Rorrik offers to train her, but she refuses.

Outside, Jorah, who considered Tiberius a friend, overhears everything and walks away, devastated. Leon gives Arvelle Kassia’s letter, which was written before her final fight. In the letter, Kassia urges Arvelle to live fully and care for Leon. He declares that he’ll kill the emperor himself and then storms out. Grief-stricken, Arvelle is resentful when a well-meaning Maeva interrupts her reverie, so she cruelly pushes the woman away but immediately regrets rejecting Maeva’s friendship.

Hours later, Arvelle apologizes to Maeva, explaining that she was grieving. Maeva rejects the apology and formally ends their friendship, hurt by Arvelle’s repeated rejections.

That night, Tiernon visits. Knowing that the assassination attempt is imminent, Arvelle initiates intimacy, wanting one final memory with him. They spend a passionate night together.

The next morning, Arvelle gives Deitra a note, calling in her favor from the card game by asking her to keep Leon away from the palace. She once again senses a ghostly presence that speaks in the voice of Gradon, the murdered gladian, and guides her to the ludus morgue, where seven murder victims’ bodies lie. Their eyes are open and glow poisonous green, and a malevolent voice claims them as its own. Recognizing that Mortuus has trapped their spirits, Arvelle uses her willpower to touch each body and command the spirits to be free, banishing the green glow.

On the day of the assassination, Arvelle doesn’t see Tiernon and skips training. She leaves her sword, shield, and a knife on Jorah’s desk with an apology note and says that Micah has agreed to train him. She dons armor that conceals her identity and travels with the imperiums to the palace.

In the dining hall, she witnesses Vampire Council members feeding on leashed mundanes, who are addicted to vampire blood. Rorrik immediately spots her and taunts her telepathically. She observes a newly sired vampire being starved by his creator as punishment. Arvelle successfully mindpaths to Tiernon, who realizes what she is about to attempt.

As the emperor raises his cup, Arvelle lunges with her knife, but an invisible force—Rorrik’s power—seizes her wrist and forces her to stab herself in the thigh instead.

The vampires react with hunger to Arvelle’s blood. Rorrik covers for her, claiming that he was simply toying with his food. The emperor orders Tiernon to remove Arvelle. As he carries her out, she manages to tell him about her brothers, making him understand Bran’s coercion. Tiernon reveals that he and Carrick have been working to locate her brothers, whom Bran recently moved into his territory.

After a healer treats her wound, Rorrik escorts Arvelle back to the ludus, explaining that Bran has been using the bond to amplify her impulse to kill the emperor. Rorrik offers to break the bond and reveals that he is half-sigilmarked; he wills a massive gold sigil to appear on his forehead and explains that his parentage is why such unions are now forbidden. Arvelle cannot accept his offer yet, as Bran would kill her brothers.

When Arvelle calls him a monster for his past actions, Rorrik reveals that Tiberius Cotta led the Sect of Mortuus and was sacrificing people in order to free the god of ruin. Arvelle realizes that the murders stopped after she killed him.

The next day, Jorah confirms that Micah will train him but says he cannot forgive her for killing Tiberius. Suddenly, a guard brings news that the mysterious murderer has attacked Leon.

Tiernon explains that Leon is the first victim to survive the mysterious attack. At the healers’ quarters, Arvelle finds Leon unconscious and gravely injured. Tiernon donates his blood to help and is then summoned away by the emperor.

Albion and Maeva visit separately, both distraught. Bran appears and tortures Arvelle for her failure, confirming that the rebels support his cause of restoring permanent sun access for all vampires. He threatens escalating pain until she completes the assassination.

Neris arrives and gives Arvelle a stern talk, urging her to take action instead of wallowing in despair. Arvelle resolves to find Leon’s attacker, rescue her brothers, and kill Bran.

While leaving the healers’ quarters, she learns that training has been postponed for a surprise arena fight. Hester confronts Arvelle, blaming her for the death of her cousin Galia Volker—the gladian who killed Kassia in the Sands. She implies that Maeva is her target and taunts that Arvelle is too late to save her.

Arvelle sprints to the arena, where she finds Maeva drugged and disoriented as she struggles to face Baldric in combat. The sight triggers painful memories of Kassia’s death. The emperor dismissively allows Arvelle to join the fight.

Baldric lands a devastating blow to Arvelle’s face. She fights defensively, protecting Maeva, who finally begins recovering from the drug. Arvelle flanks Baldric and keeps him distracted until Maeva stabs him in the back, piercing his heart. Arvelle simultaneously decapitates him.

The emperor acknowledges their victory but declares that Arvelle must be punished for breaking the rule against entering the arena unbidden. Guards seize her as Maeva’s powerful father, who has long rejected her, watches without intervening. Arvelle accuses Baldric and Hester of cheating by drugging Maeva. The emperor orders a healer to examine Maeva, stating that Arvelle will die if she is lying. Rorrik whispers a suggestion to the emperor, who smiles and agrees.

Rorrik enters the arena to carry out Arvelle’s punishment. He notices Bran’s magical mark on her neck and becomes enraged, though he conceals it. He easily overpowers Arvelle, disarming her and throwing her to the sand. He pins her down, mindpathing the message that this punishment is a lesson for both her and Tiernon.

As Rorrik bites Arvelle’s wrist in an act of dominance, Tiernon throws a silver knife that lands in Rorrik’s shoulder. Arvelle yanks it free, and Rorrik lets her up. He informs her that the bite wounds will not heal without vampire assistance and that he is compelled to heal her himself.

Sensing that his possessiveness is a weakness she can exploit, Arvelle tells him to beg. To the crowd’s shock, Rorrik kneels in the center of the arena and asks permission to heal her. Arvelle asserts dominance by pressing her knife to his throat before allowing him to take her wrist. Rorrik licks her wounds closed in an act that arouses Arvelle, which he senses. After he finishes, she pulls away. As she turns to leave, the emperor’s spectacle continues.