Rune Winters watches the broken island recede as her cargo ship sails across the sea, feeling alien in her own body after everything she has lost. She mentally lists the wreckage—Wintersea, her horse Lady, and, most of all, Alex—grieving the future they will never have and the safety she used to feel with him.

Across the cabin, Rune observes Cressida Roseblood—once “Verity de Wilde” to Rune—strategizing with other witches over a map. Rune reels at the betrayal of having trusted Cressida for two years and realizes her rescues as the Crimson Moth have been feeding Cressida’s growing army now that the Roseblood heir is known to be alive.

Rune admits she cannot return to the New Republic, where the Blood Guard will kill her, but she also fears Cressida’s plans to usher in a new Reign of Witches. Seraphine Oakes approaches Rune with tea and bluntly warns that after Rune tore a city apart, Cressida will want to know what else Rune can do—and that being useful may be the only way to stay alive.

Remembering her grandmother’s request, Rune asks Seraphine to train her, believing Nan sent her for that purpose and somehow knew Rune was a witch. Seraphine agrees that Rune has much to learn.

Cressida catches Rune looking, and Rune sees a predatory hunger in the witch queen that deepens her unease. Rune then confronts the emptiness Gideon Sharpe has left behind: he haunts her dreams with hatred and vows to hunt her, yet Rune also craves him as her perfect rival and the unfinished conflict between them. Staring into the misty horizon, Rune steels herself for what she believes is inevitable—Gideon will come, and Rune intends to be ready.