Still disguised inside the Ghostblood safehouse, Shallan panics when Iyatil speaks to her in another language and realizes a wrong answer could expose her. Veil urges Shallan to improvise instead of immediately calling for help. Shallan guesses from body language, follows Iyatil to a side area, and then uses a reflected image in a polished doorknob to fake a distraction by whispering Sja-anat’s name. The trick works well enough to break the exchange and keep suspicion from settling on her.

Sja-anat then appears for real in the doorknob’s reflection and privately addresses Shallan. Sja-anat makes clear that she recognizes Shallan despite the disguise and says she is not serving Odium out of loyalty, but trying to preserve a world where her children can survive. Before Shallan can learn more, Iyatil returns with Mraize and leads them into a darker inner room filled with trophies and mirrors, where Sja-anat continues the conversation openly.

In the inner room, Shallan overhears the Ghostbloods’ plan in full. Sja-anat says Dalinar and the Bondsmiths are close to beginning their work, and that Mraize and Iyatil intend to enter Shadesmar and then slip into Dalinar’s perpendicularity when it opens so they can reach the Spiritual Realm. Sja-anat warns that the realm is hostile to mortals, that her children can guide them only imperfectly, and that Mishram will not be friendly to humans. This reveals to Shallan that Mraize and Iyatil appear to be bonded to Sja-anat’s enlightened spren, and Shallan is horrified to realize that her past dealings with the Ghostbloods helped make this alliance possible.

As Shallan studies them, she notices that Mraize already has a crossbow bolt fitted with anti-Light, confirming that the Ghostbloods have rapidly acquired the new weapon. Mraize worries that Shallan may interfere, but Iyatil dismisses the threat and rebukes him, revealing that he is her acolyte rather than the true leader. After Mraize leaves, Iyatil quietly confides to the disguised Shallan that she doubts Mraize’s loyalty, says she wants Mishram for her own purposes, and indicates that Thaidakar’s larger goal is to control the Shards so he can protect his homeland.

Shallan tries to maintain the disguise with silence and nods, but the strain finally gives her away. Iyatil notices that “Lieke” is behaving wrongly, focuses on Shallan, and suddenly understands. When Iyatil lunges, Shallan blocks the motion, accidentally knocking aside the hood and exposing the wig beneath. Iyatil recoils and shouts an alarm to the room beyond, revealing that a Radiant has infiltrated the Ghostbloods and ending Shallan’s covert advantage.