Hunt enters Celestina’s office determined to keep up appearances and to learn whether the Hind has exposed what happened around Emile. Celestina instead warmly congratulates Hunt on being mated to Bryce, and Hunt lies smoothly about their visit to Bryce’s parents, using Ruhn and Cormac as cover details. Because Celestina shows no sign of suspicion, Hunt concludes their secret is still safe for now. Before he leaves, Celestina gives Hunt reports on demon activity at the Northern Rift and asks for his analysis, which forces Hunt to think again about Hel and how much he can safely reveal.

Although Celestina’s calm demeanor helps, Hunt remains uneasy about Bryce’s secrecy, Baxian’s loyalties, and the larger threat gathering around Hel. He decides to confront the Hind directly. Hunt finds her in a barracks bathroom and demands to know what she plans to do about what happened the previous day, when she clearly saw him and the others. The Hind refuses to answer plainly, toys with Hunt, and then tells him to go look at what the Harpy has done by the Angels’ Gate.

At the Gate, Hunt finds a crowd gathered around two dead rebels displayed beneath the crystal arch. The corpses, marked with Ophion and Lightfall insignia, have been blood-eagled: the Harpy has cut through their backs and pulled out their lungs to resemble wings. Hunt understands that the victims were likely tortured alive and reads the spectacle as both punishment and warning. Seeing the atrocity sickens him, makes him fear what the Asteri’s forces would do to him and Bryce if caught, and leaves him disturbed that Celestina either allowed it or was powerless to stop it. The public notices the Umbra Mortis at the scene, and Hunt realizes many will assume he is part of such brutality.

The chapter then shifts to Ruhn at the safehouse. Hunt calls to say that everything is clear, which eases some of Ruhn’s tension after the dangerous rescue of the sprites and the dragon Ariadne. Ruhn returns to find Flynn entertaining the sprites, Declan questioning them, and Ithan waiting nearby while Ariadne sits on the stairs. Before Ruhn can settle matters further, the doorbell rings, and Queen Hypaxia Enador arrives unexpectedly, asking to see him.