Before dawn, Emily wakes and notices a shadow on her third finger that she can perceive only indirectly. She realizes the king in the white tree has enchanted her: the effect muddles her thoughts, makes her forget her intention to confess to Wendell, and would likely make her lie if questioned. Using her coin to hold her thoughts in place, Emily concludes she is ensnared and fears that, if the enchantment begins drawing her back to the tree, she may have to sever her own hand to stop it.

At first light, Emily goes to the hot spring with Shadow and finds Poe's tree scorched from within and damaged, as though burned after a visit in the night. She searches the woods and finds Poe hiding under a root, frightened and lost. Poe explains that the tall ones came, wanted him to dance, and burned his tree when he tried to avoid them. Emily agrees to lead Poe home in exchange for three answers about the tall ones; as Poe cleans his damaged tree and mutters about what happened, Emily gathers enough to understand that the attack is connected to a human abduction.

Emily rushes back to the cottage, where Wendell confirms that someone was taken in the night because he heard the singing Folk. At the tavern, Finn translates the village's crisis for her: Lilja and her beloved, Margret of Selabær, vanished while riding back to Hrafnsvik, and their horse returned panicked and riderless. A search party is being organized, Johanna is nearly overcome with grief, and Aud asks Emily to speak with Wendell, offering whatever payment she can if he will help.

Back at the cottage, Emily presents Aud's offer, but Wendell admits he is neither magically barred from interfering nor eager to risk himself. He presses Emily on why she wants to help, and Emily is forced to confront an uncomfortable truth: she does feel something for the villagers, but her scholarly drive is still central to her decision. Wendell then proposes an easier, dishonest path: they could pretend to search, return with an invented story, and use the false account to win academic fame and improve both their careers.

Emily is briefly tempted because the deception would be easy and useful, but she rejects it. She decides that real discovery matters more than prestige and that Lilja and Margret may not yet be beyond saving. When Emily insists on trying, Wendell relents and agrees to help her, framing the promise like a faerie bargain and having Emily state her wish three times. Although he remains sour about it, the chapter ends with Wendell committed to joining the rescue attempt.