Tharion reports back to the River Queen and is forced to reveal that the Ocean Queen possesses six massive ships capable of evading the Asteri’s Omega-boats. The River Queen immediately fixates on the threat, interpreting her sister’s secrecy as distrust and a possible challenge to her authority. When Tharion tries to redirect her attention, she orders him to return to the surface and keep pursuing Emile Renast anyway.

At Ruhn’s house, Hypaxia arrives at the safehouse and quickly unsettles everyone with her beauty, rank, and witchcraft, casually shrinking her broom into a brooch. After the others clear out, she privately asks Ruhn for an escort during her stay in Lunathion for the coming mating celebration. Hypaxia explains that she does not trust the coven she inherited from her mother, because her strange upbringing among dead tutors and her necromantic gifts left them alienated from her.

Hypaxia reveals the deeper danger: some in her mother’s coven would prefer her older sister, Lidia, the Hind, as queen, with their general Morganthia ruling behind her. Their political goals also differ from Hypaxia’s, since they want closer ties to the Asteri even at the cost of witch autonomy. Because Lidia will be in the city and tensions have worsened since the Summit, Hypaxia fears her coven may act, and Ruhn agrees to help by assigning protection under the cover of fiancé-like concern.

Later, Hunt meets Tharion in Moonwood under the pretense of sharing intelligence about a deadly deathstalker demon sighted in Nena. Once they are alone, Hunt admits that he knows where Emile is but refuses to say, insisting only that the boy is safe and that Tharion must stop hunting him. Hunt further reveals that Emile has no thunderbird powers at all, that Sofie faked his importance to protect him, and that Emile knows almost nothing beyond Sofie’s contact with Danika.

The revelation leaves Tharion facing the River Queen’s anger, because she will see the failed search as his fault regardless of the truth. Rather than report back immediately, Tharion decides to delay, pretending the hunt is still ongoing so he can avoid punishment and remain on land longer. Hunt supports the plan, and Tharion seizes the chance to stretch out what freedom he can from his increasingly dangerous position.