At Glen Elendra, Maralen governs from a court where day and night mingle. Her growing power should confirm that she has become the plane's steward, but visions of Oona make every change feel like evidence against her. Rhys remains friend, witness and appointed executioner, carrying the poisoned dagger their pact may force him to use. The pact prolongs Rhys's life for as long as Maralen needs his vigilance. Maralen was once Oona's avatar.
Eirdu, the incarnation of day, leaves the palace grounds as Isilu begins to move. The balance that made Glen Elendra a refuge shifts with it. A disguised faerie continues to haunt Maralen's rooms, nudging her fear toward the conclusion that Oona is reclaiming the life once fashioned from her. Earlier, Maralen, Rhys, Ashling, Brigid, Sygg and Colfenor had defeated Oona. Her body was destroyed, not her consciousness. The broken imposed aurora let the two great elementals resume their balance. Maralen had found comfort beside Eirdu.
On Arcavios, Ajani visits Liliana and learns that four students disappeared during Dina's lesson. The rescue gives him a direct route back into a world connected to Oko's past. While the students search for local help, Ajani follows through the Omenpaths with knowledge they do not possess and history he would rather not revisit.