Ithan meets with Marc, Declan, and Flynn to figure out whether he has any legal way to go after the Astronomer for imprisoning the girl in the tank. Marc bluntly explains that Ithan has likely only exposed himself to charges like breaking and entering and theft, since the captive is bound by a legal contract and the fire sprites Ithan stole are valuable property. Even so, Ithan cannot shake the feeling that leaving the captives behind was wrong.

The black box on the table suddenly rattles, and when Marc opens it, the men see that the stolen items are not objects but four tiny female fire beings trapped inside rings. Realizing the extent of the Astronomer's cruelty, Marc immediately understands why Ithan took them. Declan and Flynn decide to free the captives despite the risk, and Flynn begins carefully smashing the rings while the sprites crouch for cover.

The first three rings break and release frightened sprites, but the fourth explodes outward with much greater force. The blast throws the men back and reveals that the last captive is not a small sprite but a naked, human-sized female with blazing crimson eyes and dragon fire under her skin. She warns Flynn that the Astronomer will find and kill him, and Flynn answers with swagger that a dragon now owes him a debt.

Elsewhere, Ruhn travels aboard the Ocean Queen's rescue ship with Bryce, Hunt, Tharion, and the badly wounded Cormac. Still reeling from realizing that Bryce and Hunt are true mates, Ruhn questions Commander Sendes and learns the ship is powered by the Ocean Queen rather than firstlight, carries a self-sustaining biodome, and is heading into the Ravel Canyon instead of trying to outrun the imperial pursuit. When an Omega-boat closes in, Sendes shows them that the vessel can camouflage itself like a squid, letting the enemy ship Faustus pass by without detecting them.

After Sendes makes clear that the Ocean Queen's people are not aligned with Ophion and expect their technology to remain secret, a medwitch takes Cormac away for surgery. As the ship moves through the canyon, Ruhn and the others glimpse ancient carvings from a long-vanished mer highway, hinting at lost underwater cities and histories. Plans are made to return the group to the mouth of the Istros by dawn, and Bryce asks for privacy with Hunt in the biodome, prompting Sendes to clear and seal the space for the pair.