In a mountain cave on the eastern flank of Mount Raphael, Seraph Talon tests Gabriel de León's mental defenses by reading details about Gabriel's sister, Celene, revealing her nickname "Hellion." Despite slight improvement, Talon warns Gabriel he remains vulnerable to elder Voss mind-reading. Greyhand insists Gabriel train day and night, as the group must be ready when they finally confront their quarry.

The hunting party—Greyhand, Talon, Aaron de Coste, and Gabriel—has tracked Marianne Luncóit for months through the Godsend range, following rumors from animals and towns of a beautiful vampire and her entourage. They find repeated signs: murdered noble children, wasting sickness among the gentry, and a charming "madame" with a supposed son, Adrien, and five servants. Luncóit targets high society with poise and deception, moving northward from town to town: Almwud, Benhomme, Tolbrook, and Ciirfort.

As snows deepen, the group approaches the silver-rich Barony of Coste, Aaron's birthplace and seat of his stepfather. Gabriel remains embittered toward Aaron, suspecting Aaron's role in Sister Aoife's death, and dreads lodging among Aaron's people. Aaron grows more sullen as they near Coste. Around the fire, they debate the looming threat of the Forever King Fabién Voss and his possible march from Talhost; Greyhand counsels patience, asserting that thwarting Luncóit hinders Fabién's broader plans.

Shared drinks and stories momentarily ease tensions. Greyhand, Talon, and Gabriel trade anecdotes about hard-drinking stepfathers, and Talon and Greyhand recall an old hunt in Beaufort with Frère Yannick, who once disguised himself to bait a duskdancer werewolf. They honor Yannick, who named Greyhand and later chose ritual death to avoid the red thirst, prompting Gabriel to reflect on the inevitable madness awaiting silversaints and the vow to die a man rather than live a monster.

Talon recounts the origin of Greyhand's name: as an apprentice, Greyhand returned alone to a vampire-infested ruin after his master Michel fell, emerging with his fists caked in vampire ash. Greyhand downplays the tale and warns Gabriel against seeking heroism, stating heroes die far from home. The group then turns to practical matters: Aaron outlines Coste's wealth in silver and iron, its courtly connections to Emperor Alexandre, his brother Jean-Luc's command in the Golden Host, and his mother's imperial kinship.

Greyhand notes they may have gained on Luncóit and that the Feast of San Maximille in two days could draw the bon vivant Raven Child into public view. He urges rest and faithful service over dreams of glory. As they settle to sleep, Gabriel senses their quarry is near and resolves not to repeat past errors in Skyefall, yet he still dreams of glory and a raven-haired smile, signaling his fixation on the hunt and its deadly allure.