Hunt trails Bryce as she walks to work at Griffin Antiquities, observing her appearance—a little black dress, heels, and makeup—as a kind of armor. Along the way, they discuss their respective enemies: Bryce names her father and Sabine as those she hates most, while Hunt reveals that Sandriel, the Archangel who owned him for over half a century, is his. He alludes to horrific experiences under Sandriel and her triarii commander Pollux, but declines to elaborate. They share a lighter moment at the Old Square Gate, where Bryce recalls wishing for bigger breasts as a thirteen-year-old tourist, and Hunt privately reflects on what he would truly wish for: his mother alive, the Archangels and Asteri dead, his freedom.

At Griffin Antiquities, Ruhn Danaan joins Bryce and Hunt in the underground library to research the kristallos and the Horn. Hunt searches old tomes and an antiquities database for parallels to the kristallos among Type-Six demons, while Bryce suggests looking for depictions in ancient art. They also receive Declan Emmet's compiled location data on Danika's movements in the two weeks before her death. The data reveals that Danika was stationed at Luna's Temple for two days before the Horn was stolen and during the blackout—an assignment likely made by Sabine out of spite. Bryce reasons that if Danika had witnessed the theft, she would have reported it, but speculates that the Horn's scent may have lingered on Danika, drawing the kristallos to her.

Ruhn discovers a passage in an old book about Prince Pelias and Lady Helena, learning that the Horn and other sacred objects required Starborn Fae power to function. The Prince of the Pit stole Pelias's blood to create the kristallos specifically because it contained Starborn essence needed to track the Horn. This means that even if someone found the Horn, they would need a Starborn Fae like Ruhn to activate it. However, the Horn is permanently broken—repairable only by "light that is not light, magic that is not magic," which is essentially considered impossible. The group recognizes they are looking for two different parties: the person summoning the kristallos to find the Horn, and whoever originally stole it.

They discuss consulting the Oracle about why someone would want a broken relic. Both Bryce and Ruhn refuse to go due to traumatic past experiences, so Hunt agrees to visit. Ruhn departs for an Aux meeting, and Bryce privately recalls the night Danika and Connor returned injured from busting Philip Briggs's bomb lab—a memory tied to the moment she realized Connor was ready to pursue her romantically. Hunt texts Bryce to meet him outside, and she changes shoes before leaving the library, where Lehabah, the fire sprite, expresses loneliness at being left alone.