Freya realizes the figure before her is Harald, not Bjorn, and Harald attacks after mocking her for helping him escape. Harald shifts into a monstrous wolf and nearly kills Freya, but fire drives him back and the real Bjorn arrives. Kaja had led Bjorn to her, and the reunion confirms that Bjorn survived, Skade is dead by Geir's hand, and Harald is wounded but still loose. Because Harald can take any shape and disappear if given time, Freya and Bjorn decide to hunt him immediately instead of waiting for Guthrum and the others.

The pursuit through the dark forest becomes a trap-filled duel in which Harald controls the terms of every encounter. Freya and Bjorn follow blood and tracks until Harald ambushes them from above as a giant cat, slashes Bjorn, and vanishes again. Bjorn charges after Harald, falls into a concealed pit, and leaves Freya alone against Harald's next form: a grotesque creature with scales, spines, and then multiple venom-tipped tentacles. Freya keeps Harald talking and defends herself with only her seax and Hlin's magic on her hand, but Harald eventually strikes her thigh with venom and leaves her weakening.

When Bjorn finally climbs from the trap and rejoins the fight, Harald's changing body gives him too many weapons for either of them to win by force. Realizing that Harald will kill Bjorn if the fight continues, Freya chooses guile instead: she throws herself onto Harald and curses herself so that Yggdrasil's roots drag her from the mortal world. Because Harald shares divine blood, Freya pulls him down with her. Freya catches herself on the roots, but when Harald survives the fall and calls to Hel for help, Freya descends deeper despite the venom burning through her body because she refuses to let Hel return Harald to the world.

On the road near Helheim's bridge, Freya and Harald grapple while both are dying, and Harald struggles to hold stable forms. Hel emerges and moves to claim Freya's soul, but Hlin appears and reveals that she mixed her own blood into Freya at birth, making Freya not Hel's alone. Hlin praises Freya for unraveling the fate woven around Loki's son, and the other gods gather to witness the dispute. Hel restores Harald's body, but Freya asks Tyr for Bjorn's flame and hurls Bjorn's burning axe, severing Harald's skull and leaving only his soul. Saga then appears, accuses Harald of stealing her life, killing her people, and hurting Bjorn, and drives Harald's soul through Helheim's gates with her.

Freya is still dying, and Odin claims her for Valhalla, but Freya refuses because she is not ready to leave Bjorn. Hlin carries Freya partway back up Yggdrasil and leaves the final climb to her. From below, Hel bitterly hints that Freya's power over death can save her, so Freya summons the spirit of an Islunder warrior she once cursed; in return for Harald's death freeing his brother, the warrior fetches Liv. Liv uses Eir's healing power to pull the poison from Freya if Freya can force herself out of this place. Hearing Bjorn call for her, Freya claws upward through earth and roots, insisting that she still controls her own fate as the chapter ends with her struggle unresolved.