Overview

Rory secretly enters Six's locked room and, after a tense confrontation, agrees to help her leave Aisling to find the missing Diviners. When the abbess appears with gargoyles and orders Rory killed and Six taken to the spring, Rory uses a mysterious coin to phase through barriers and destroy gargoyles while Six fights back with a hammer. Six, Rory, and the batlike gargoyle escape the tor and set out toward the Seacht to seek the king and knighthood's help.

Full Summary

Rory appears in Six's bedchamber without armor, provoking Six's suspicion that he is behind the Diviners' disappearances. He denies involvement, explaining the king sent him after receiving a falcon from Castle Luricht about Six's alarm, and he deflects questions about how he entered. Despite Six's distrust, she appeals to his aid to leave Aisling and find the others. After confirming details of the vanishings, Rory abruptly tells Six to gather her things and carries her over broken glass when she has no shoes.

Finding the cottage door impervious, Rory reveals a secret tool: a small oblong coin-like stone that, when thrown, lets them phase through solid barriers for a few seconds. They slip outside and go to the toolshed for Six's hammer and chisel, but the batlike gargoyle intercepts them. A noisy exchange is cut short when the abbess arrives with three other gargoyles—the serpent, bear, and falcon—and orders Rory killed and Six brought to the spring. The abbess tries to persuade Six to stay, belittling her dreams and claiming she "made them special," but Six refuses.

As the gargoyles attack, Rory uses the coin both to blink around and to destroy the serpentine gargoyle, shattering it with a throw. Six secures the keys from the batlike gargoyle, who begs to come with her, and opens the shed. The bear gargoyle tackles Six, dragging her toward the cathedral, but Rory destroys it as well, leaving a ringing coin on the ground. Six retrieves her hammer and chisel and then saves Rory from a blow by the falcon gargoyle, smashing its head with her hammer and felling it.

With the path briefly clear, Rory grabs Six and the coin and they run, passing through the outer wall using the coin and falling to the road outside the tor. They hide as more gargoyles fly overhead and then move down the holloway, the batlike gargoyle following from above despite Rory's objections. Six notices the coin is oblong stone, smooth on one side and rough on the other—the same coin she has repeatedly seen in her dreams.

Rory cautions Six about the dangers in Traum and proposes they join the knighthood at the Seacht to learn about the missing Diviners. He asks to take her to the king, and Six, now free of the tor with her tools and accompanied by the batlike gargoyle, continues with him into the night.

Who Appears

• Six — Diviner protagonist; refuses the abbess, retrieves her hammer and chisel, fights the falcon gargoyle, escapes Aisling with Rory.
• Rory (Rodrick Myndacious) — knight; sent by the king after Six's message, uses a mysterious coin to phase through barriers and destroy gargoyles, helps Six escape, plans to take her to the Seacht and the king.
• The Abbess — head of Aisling; confronts Six, belittles her ambitions, claims to have "made" the others special, orders gargoyles to kill Rory and bring Six to the spring.
• Batlike gargoyle — Six's minder; emotional, reveals he always calls people Bartholomew, helps open the shed, begs to accompany Six and follows them; status: escapes with them.
• Serpentine gargoyle — attacker; previously injured Six; status: destroyed by Rory's coin.
• Bear gargoyle — attacker; drags Six; status: destroyed by Rory's coin.
• Falcon gargoyle — attacker; status: felled by Six with her hammer.
• King Castor — referenced; sent Rory after receiving Six's message.
• Benji — referenced; "bleeding-heart king" aide who relayed the falcon message prompting Rory's visit.