Throne of Glass

When Celaena and Nox train together for the final elimination Test, Celaena is distracted by Cain, who wears a new black ring. Nox asks Celaena about the new bite scars on her hand. Though she doesn’t tell him about the creature eating the murdered competitors, Celaena tells Nox who she is, and that Nox should flee the castle while he still can: He is unlikely to win and faces no consequences for losing, but he is in danger as long as he stays in Rifthold. Nox thanks her for the warning and slips away that night. 

In an opium haze, Kaltain sees dark figures flying around Cain in the dining hall and hears flapping wings as she passes him.

After dinner, Celaena plays chess with Dorian. She keeps Cain and the ridderak a secret, afraid that the King will find out about Wyrd magic and use it for evil. Dorian senses that Celaena is afraid of something, but Celaena kisses him as a distraction. After Dorian leaves, Celaena regrets not asking him to spend the night. Celaena has a nightmare about being chased by a demon. When she wakes up, she wonders why the Eye of Elena did not protect her from the ridderak.

The final Test is canceled in light of Nox’s departure. The next day, Celaena, Cain, and two others will duel for the title of Champion. 

Dorian hunts in the forest to clear his mind. His feelings for Celaena are profound, but he is unsure if she returns his love. He is afraid Celaena will be harmed in the duel the next day.

Celaena looks over Rifthold from her balcony on the night before the duel, strategizing for her fight with Cain and trying to keep up her courage. She worries about killing for the King if she becomes his Champion, but she realizes that she truly wants to stay at Rifthold to be close to Dorian, Chaol, and Nehemia. 

Perrington blocks Kaltain from view as she poisons Celaena’s wine with undetectable bloodbane ahead of the duel, which is to take place in the castle courtyard near the clock tower. Kaltain wonders that the slight Celaena is considered capable of defeating the enormous Cain. Cain looks absurdly muscular, swollen with the power of the competitors he sacrificed to the ridderak. Celaena wonders if Perrington knows the source of Cain’s strength. Nehemia brings her wooden staff to the duel, to honor Celaena as a fellow warrior.

The King explains the rules of the duel: Cain and Renault will fight first, then Celaena and Grave; the winners will drink a ceremonial toast, and then face each other. The competitors are supposed to stop short of killing one another. Celaena repeats her mantra, “I will not be afraid” (346). As Cain fights Renault, Chaol points out to Celaena a weakness on Cain’s right side. Cain defeats Renault quickly.

Chaol offers Celaena his sword for her duel with Grave, but Nehemia asks Celaena to use her staff instead: “Let wood from the forests of Eyllwe defeat steel from Adarlan. Let the King’s Champion be someone who understands how innocents suffer”—implying that with the staff Celaena, can “undermine the King’s authority” (348). Celaena thanks Chaol, and the duel begins. 

After Celaena easily defeats Grave, Kaltain passes out the goblets for the ceremonial toast and Celaena unknowingly drinks her bloodbane-poisoned wine. Celaena has no time to rest and must immediately face Cain just as the bloodbane starts to affect her. 

Cain taunts Celaena for her sudden sluggishness, and Kaltain laughs from the sidelines. Celaena realizes that she has been poisoned, and that Cain knows this. Cain breaks Nehemia’s wooden staff in two and lands a terrible blow. Dorian realizes that something is wrong, horrified that he can’t stop the duel without jeopardizing Celaena’s chance to win the tournament and her freedom. After Cain wounds Celaena in the thigh, she falls to the ground.

Chaol watches helplessly as Cain taunts Celaena about her parents’ murder—information Cain should have no way of knowing. As he drags Celaena across the courtyard, she hears voices calling her by her real name. Celaena resigns herself to death, but Chaol implores her to stand up, reaching out his hand to touch the edge of the dueling ring. Celaena weeps, but stands. Cain slams her into the clock tower, which makes Celaena realize that the clock tower is a Wyrdgate. The bloodbane has expanded her consciousness, allowing her to see the shadowy winged creatures surrounding the tower. Cain tears the Eye of Elena from Celaena’s neck, so the demons and monsters can attack her. 

Dorian realizes something invisible must be attacking Celaena. At the edge of the dueling ring, Nehemia chants and traces symbols in the air under her cloak.

A shadowy Cain signals for a demon to attack, but it retreats at the sound of Celaena’s scream. The spirit of Elena appears, scattering the shadow monsters as a gust of wind knocks Cain to the ground. The onlookers shield themselves from the wind while a golden light surrounds Celaena. Elena removes the poison from Celaena’s body but says she can do nothing more. The wind blows the top half of Nehemia’s staff to Celaena. Just before she disappears, Elena sends a jet of blue light at Cain, who is half in the mortal world, half in the spirit world because of his treachery. Celaena stands and her vision clears. 

Celaena repeats her mantra, “I will not be afraid,” and approaches Cain as a blue Wyrdmark burns on her forehead (367). As Cain moves in, Celaena stabs him with the broken end of Nehemia’s staff on his unguarded right side and presses the staff to his neck, winning the duel. Celaena considers killing Cain, but resists, honoring the rules. After a long silence, the King announces Celaena as the winner. Nehemia falls to the ground, as does Celaena, laughing through tears.

Dorian calls for a healer, furious with himself for not stopping the rigged duel. The King exchanges a look with Cain, who pulls a dagger and is about to kill Celaena, when Chaol stabs him through the heart. Cain’s blood smells strangely of “death and decay” (370), like the ridderak. Chaol watches Cain die in horror, overwhelmed by his first time killing another man. Dorian cradles Celaena and decides that “no empire, no king, and no earthly fear” will keep him from loving her (371).

Kaltain looks on, distraught that the plan to poison Celaena failed. Perrington exposes Kaltain as the poisoner, claiming she acted alone due to her ambition to marry Dorian. Kaltain realizes that she “played right into [Perrington’s] hands” as she is taken to the dungeon (372).