Oak wakes consumed by anger and grief over the Ghost's role in poisoning his mother, and by Taryn's complicity. He smashes his breakfast table, brooding on his family's habit of papering over violence and on Wren's strange insistence that he break their betrothal. Tatterfell, helping him dress, suggests Jude may want to marry him to Nicasia of the Undersea instead, planting fresh suspicion that Jude could be threatening Wren behind his back.

Riding to the Milkwood hunt with Tiernan and the kelpie Jack of the Lakes, who has come to offer renewed support, Oak studies Jude and Cardan but cannot read them. Wren and Bogdana arrive on uncanny bramble steeds conjured from sticks—another secret Wren kept. Oak rides to Wren and tries to learn what is wrong; she pushes him to stage a public fight, hints something terrible constrains her, and says "tonight is too late" before riding off. Oak grows certain someone is manipulating her.

At the picnic, Oriana urges Oak to ask Wren clever questions to drive her off, and denies any plan involving Nicasia. Hyacinthe confronts Oak, having overheard his conversation with Leander; he demands Oak deliver the Ghost as promised for Liriope's murder, threatening to kill Garrett himself. The Ghost approaches with honey wine, says he has urgent information and will wait north of camp, and shares a cup with Oak before riding off.

Oak soon recognizes the symptoms of blusher mushroom poisoning—the same poison used on Liriope—but he is immune. Believing the Ghost tried to kill him, he rides north enraged, sword drawn. Instead, he finds Garrett dead in a clearing, mouth stained purple, body already turning to wood. Oak realizes the Ghost unknowingly drank poisoned wine meant for him. He suspects Hyacinthe may have done it for symmetry, but is left wondering what secret Garrett had uncovered that someone needed to silence before he could tell Jude.