Inan breaks into Zélie’s cell and removes her from her shackles. Zélie asks to be left to die but Inan carries her through the halls. An explosion crashes through the fortress wall as they travel. 

Tzain, Amari, and three of Tzain’s magically-awoken friends–Femi, Kenyon, and Imani–sprint across the grass around the Gombe fortress. Femi rips a hole in the metal wall, letting them inside. They are almost caught by a soldier, but tackle and gag him before he can cry out for help. They interrogate him and find out where the prisoners are kept, then hear explosions as other divîners from the bar use alcohol bombs to attack the exterior of the fortress. The group descends but are stopped by guards. The newly awakened maji easily defend themselves. Amari spots her father in the chaos.

Inan watches the fight between the newly awakened magic users and the soldiers and believes that his father is right to hate magic. He realizes the maji are coming for Zélie and starts back towards the cell. He encounters Amari and Tzain and hands Zélie over to them, telling them to flee and that he will do what he can to protect them from the inside.