News of Inspector Harriet Marblemaw’s banishment leaks, and reporters swarm Marsyas again, though Merle refuses to ferry them to the island. Despite the looming threat from Jeanine Rowder, life on the island briefly feels restorative: Chauncey practices cleaning for his future hotel, Theodore treasures a recovered button, Talia sculpts shrubs depicting Lucy devouring Marblemaw, Phee and Arthur fly with Theodore, and Sal studies the orphanage’s finances with Arthur. David thrives creatively, but Lucy grows uncharacteristically quiet, worrying Arthur.

Late June, the family goes into the village for a needed outing, staying together due to recent danger. Reporters trail them until David roars from the van, scattering them. The day remains calm and supported by locals who lock shop doors to keep the press out. Arthur thanks Merle at the dock for controlling access to the island, then the family heads toward J-Bone’s record shop, joking their way through the crowd.

At a crosswalk, Lucy abruptly stops David and senses approaching danger. Black DICOMY sedans box the family in, and suited men form a silent semicircle. More vehicles arrive, including one carrying Rowder and Marblemaw. Before a growing crowd of villagers and tourists, Rowder announces she is “completing” the inspection and presents an order to seize the children—Lucifer, Talia, Chauncey, Phee, Theodore, and Sal—into DICOMY custody for foster placement. Arthur and Linus refuse. Rowder reveals the children were selected as a government “experiment” to see what would happen if the Antichrist were raised among others.

Lucy confronts Rowder directly, describing his unwanted visions and telling her he sees darkness inside her; he also expresses sympathy about her father’s death, implying it was an accident caused by someone losing control. Rowder attempts to slap Lucy, but Lucy involuntarily teleports away, reappearing beside Arthur and realizing he can teleport. Arthur warns Rowder that DICOMY abuse will not be tolerated, offers a public path toward change, and the crowd closes ranks to protect the family when Rowder orders her men to take the children.

Sal announces “royalty,” and Zoe appears in armor and a crown, revealing herself as Queen Zoe Chapelwhite, last of the sprites and rightful ruler of Marsyas. She recounts the sprite slaughter and produces a 1332 decree ceding Marsyas to the sprites, then awakens the land’s magic and banishes Rowder’s forces by having Lucy teleport them to Prime Minister Herman Carmine. Zoe publicly declares Marsyas a refuge for magical people and warns hostile forces away, naming Helen Webb her continued mayor. She then leads Arthur, Linus, Merle, and the family to the docks and, with the children’s joined magic, reshapes the sea and land—expanding Marsyas to many times its size and creating vast new space and dwellings—inviting the entire village to come see their new kingdom.