Kingdom of Ash

Elide sneaks into the kingdom of Doranelle and questions a group of soldiers at a tavern while pretending to be Cairn’s jilted lover. She learns that Maeve has left the city, but the soldiers do not reveal Cairn’s whereabouts. A female warrior of the group, Essar, follows Elide when she leaves. She claims to be a friend of Maeve’s Cadre and reveals that Cairn is with the soldiers at the city’s eastern camp.

Elide and her group plan to infiltrate the camp at dawn, when the watch is weakest.

Manon and the Thirteen prepare to follow the Crochans to Eyllwe. Manon completes tasks for Glennis, delivering cleaned brooms to various Crochans throughout the camp. Dorian continues teaching himself to shift but only manages to turn his eyes brown. Dorian and Manon come close to admitting they care for one another.

Aelin is strapped to a metal table inside a war tent. When Cairn is about to torture her with fire, she decides to goad him into killing her before Maeve can place a Wyrdstone collar around her neck. Rowan’s intuition spurs him to rush to the camp early.

Aelin convinces Cairn to unlock her from the table to beat her more thoroughly. His assault is not enough to kill her, though, so Aelin pitifully resigns herself to her fate. Aelin’s defeat motivates Fenrys to sever his blood oath with Maeve, even though it’ll likely kill him to do so, and attack Cairn.

While Fenrys distracts Cairn, Aelin uses a hot poker to break the chains on her feet and runs.

Aelin unknowingly flees away from Rowan, toward Lorcan and Gavriel. She slays every soldier in her path, as Lorcan and Gavriel use their powers from a distance to block arrows fired at her by archers. Rowan shifts into hawk form to meet them outside the camp. Aelin cries out for Fenrys, who is still facing Cairn.

Rowan and Gavriel find Cairn and Fenrys both injured. Gavriel uses his power to heal them both. Rowan chains Cairn to the tent’s metal table and tortures Cairn to death.

Lorcan and Aelin arrive at the glen where Elide waits. Aelin screams for them to remove the shackles at her wrists and ankles and the iron mask covering her face, but they can’t without a locksmith. When Rowan and Gavriel return with Fenrys, Aelin teaches Rowan the Wyrdmark spell for “open.” He uses his blood to unlock and remove her chains and mask. With the iron removed, Aelin can access her fire magic. Her body alights in flame, burning her white shift off. Her friends see that her body is completely devoid of all the battle scars she’s acquired over the years.

It takes three days for Dorian to change his eye color back to blue, though he’s unable to achieve any major shapeshifting. Two spies belonging to the Thirteen, return from scouting to report that the intended rendezvous site reeks of death.

The rendezvous point is a bloody, deserted battlefield by the time the witches arrive. Manon and the Thirteen dig graves for the dead Crochans. Messengers sent to the King and Queen of Eyllwe return with news that four Crochan covens survived and now aid the royal family in their fight against Morath’s army. Dorian attempts to summon Gavin but instead summons Kaltain Rompier—the woman who was an unwilling test subject for the first Wyrdcollar when Erawan was still disguised as Duke Perrington. Kaltain sacrificed her life to help Elide escape with a Wyrdkey meant for Aelin. Kaltain’s spirit confirms that the final key is in Morath and orders Dorian to not stray from the keep. Dorian finally shapeshifts into a raven.

Aedion and other Terrasen allies have been fighting Morath’s forces for three days. They won’t last another night against Morath. Soldiers have begun to question why “Aelin” doesn’t at least use her fire magic to light their way in the darkness. The remainder of Ansel’s army has yet to arrive and Aedion has little hope that reinforcements will come from the Crochans or the legendary Mycenian fleet that the pirate Captain Rolfe is currently searching for. Aedion orders a retreat northward to the Terrasen city of Perranth, where they might be able to pick off Morath’s chasing forces as they cross the Lanis River. Aedion takes his frustration out on Lysandra; he hates her and Aelin for secretly plotting to impersonate the queen during Aelin’s absence. He calls her a useless shapeshifter and orders her out of his sight.

Aelin struggles to trust that her rescue is real, and not another illusion fabricated by Maeve. Aelin’s pent-up power threatens to unleash, but she restrains it. Rowan informs Aelin of Cairn’s brutal death at his hand and reveals that she’s been gone two months and three days. When Aelin bathes in the ancient lake within the cave, two massive eels drag a large boat to her. The Little Folk tell Aelin to take the boat through the cave system, which will lead her to the sea undetected. The Little Folk have somehow come into possession of Mab’s Crown; they gift it to Aelin, crowning her Queen of the Little Folk.

The Little Folk lead Elide, Aelin, and the Cadre through the cave systems. Elide grapples with her conflicting feelings about Lorcan. Though he played a part in saving Aelin, Elide hasn’t yet decided if he’s worthy of her forgiveness.

The boat travels another four days through the cave systems. They enter the dangerous territory of the cave-dwelling barrow-wights—ghosts who covet treasure. Aelin, Rowan, Gavriel, and Fenrys disembark to steal the wights’ gold to fund their travels. In the hoard, Aelin finds two rings for her and Rowan—to symbolize their marriage. Fenrys trades his wolf form for his Fae form for the first time since their rescue and informs his comrades of Connall’s murder.

Fenrys is cold to Lorcan, whom he still blames for Aelin’s capture. They sail for another two days. Aelin uses this time to acknowledge her trauma and strategize for the war that lies ahead.

Morath’s army descends on Anielle five days later, giving residents time to evacuate. Those too weak for travel take shelter within Westfall Keep. Nesryn and Sartaq arrive with their aerial force of ruk-riding archers, carrying healers with them. Chaol learns that Yrene is pregnant just before Morath’s army advances on the city.

The Thirteen’s decision to bury the dead Crochan witches is perceived as honorable, earning the Crochans’ respect. Manon decides to fly to the Ferian Gap and convince Petrah Blueblood—the leader of the Ironteeth’s Blueblood clan—to join the Thirteen against Morath. Manon overhears Dorian talking with Kaltain, plotting to infiltrate Morath. Manon is concerned for Dorian, as she believes this is a self-destructive mission. She asks that he first prove his shapeshifting ability by helping the Thirteen sneak into the Ferian Gap.

Aelin and her comrades reach the sea, disembark on the coast, and travel by foot to the nearest port, where Aelin sends letters to Aedion and Lysandra. The group buys passage on a ship sailing for Terrasen. Aboard, Aelin opens up to Rowan about her captivity, and they regain emotional intimacy and have sex.

Aelin hesitates to trust Lorcan. Fearing that he’ll lose Elide otherwise, Lorcan swears the blood oath to Aelin, so that he may be welcome in Terrasen without her fearing another betrayal. The group plans to use the remaining two weeks of their journey to train and strategize.

Dorian shapeshifts into a Valg to infiltrate the Ferian Gap, where he finds Petrah and 300 Ironteeth, but none of their elderly Matron leaders. Manon requests an audience with the witches and reveals why she and the Thirteen abandoned the Ironteeth: Manon’s grandmother—the Blackbeak Matron—plans to abolish the Blueblood and Yellowlegs clans, grant the Blackbeak clan supremacy, and rule over all the Ironteeth as their High Queen. Manon’s second-in-command, Asterin, reveals that Manon’s cruel grandmother branded her after burning her stillborn child’s body.

Manon proposes a Crochan-Ironteeth alliance, which she hopes will break the curse preventing the witches from returning to their homeland in the Western Wastes. She invites the Bluebloods to join her in the fight against Erawan and leaves with the offer hanging.

Aelin has nightmares of her captivity. She resents the gods, who require her to sacrifice her life to forge the Lock.

Storms force the ship to temporarily dock in south Erilea, where Aelin continues training and teaches her comrades Wyrdmarks.

Battle has been raging in Anielle for five days, but Westfall Keep still stands. Prince Hasar of the Southern Continent arrives with additional cavalry and foot soldiers. Chaol fights on the battlefield while Yrene heals the injured.