In an Ophion stash van at the edge of the Eternal City, Bryce gathers Hunt, Declan, Flynn, Ruhn, and Lidia to record a message for the public. Jesiba has sent them footage of Micah’s death, and Declan prepares to broadcast it. Despite Lidia’s desperation to find her kidnapped sons, the group commits to this step as part of their larger plan.

Bryce introduces herself on camera as Starborn heir and queen, and names Hunt as her mate and husband. Hunt admits his fear, recalling how his last open stand with the Fallen ended in disaster, but he insists it is still worth resisting. Together, Bryce and Hunt frame the Asteri as beatable and urge Midgard to defy the Republic’s “hierarchies” and rules.

Bryce calls the Asphodel Meadows massacre an atrocity and warns that it must never happen again. She reveals the Asteri’s long deception: a waterborne parasite that controls and harvests Vanir magic under the guise of the Drop, making the Asteri dependent on Midgard’s stolen power. She promises proof of successful resistance by showing footage of her killing an Archangel tied to Danika Fendyr’s murder, and Declan plays the video.

Afterward, Bryce and Hunt relocate to a cramped safe house by the city wall. Bryce worries the location could be compromised now that Ophion is largely dead, but Hunt believes Declan and Flynn’s guard and Lidia’s arrangements will hold. Bryce also wrestles with anxiety about the broadcast’s impact and the looming arrival of Hel’s forces.

Choosing intimacy over dread, Bryce and Hunt spend the night together, reaffirming their love and friendship before the coming fight. In the aftermath, Hunt describes feeling a tangible piece of Bryce—her “Made” essence—within him. Bryce takes comfort that, whatever happens next, they will carry and strengthen each other, and Hunt holds her as they try to sleep.