Dragged through the freezing black water by the kelpie, Nesta at first believes she is about to die as helplessly as she once faced the Cauldron. Remembering that she still has a dagger, she blindly hacks at the creature’s grip and briefly frees herself, but she cannot orient herself in the darkness or reach the surface.

The kelpie catches her again at the bottom of the bog and forces a grotesque kiss on her, breathing air into her lungs only so he can keep tormenting her. As he strips away her weapons and gropes and handles her like a possession, the assault triggers Nesta’s memory of Tomas in the human lands, sharpening her terror and fury. She realizes the kelpie intends to prolong her suffering rather than kill her quickly.

When the creature begins dragging her deeper through the submerged graveyard of metal and half-preserved bones, Nesta reaches inward for her magic. She senses a golden, powerful object ahead and stretches for it while the kelpie remains unaware, still hauling her through the dark.

Nesta grasps the glowing disk and immediately understands that it is not her own power but the Mask, drawn to her by its kinship with death. With her air failing and her body being cut by hidden debris, she sees that this is her only chance to turn the situation. Acting before the kelpie can stop her, Nesta slams the Mask onto her face.