Yrene relaxes in the hot springs in a cavern beneath the Torre while she thinks about how to treat Chaol’s injuries. To do so, she believes she “must enter where [she] fear[s] to tread” (113). Chaol, too, does not relish the idea of exploring his inner wounds to overcome his injuries. At dinner with the Khagan and his family, Chaol attempts to organize a private meeting with Urus but is refused. Sartaq mentions she flies with Kadara every day after breakfast. Nesryn plans to meet him at the aerie at dawn tomorrow to discover where he stands in the coming war.

Yrene researches ancient texts and scrolls within the Torre Library late at night, seeking more information on the nature of Chaol’s injuries. She discovers an Eyllwe text titled The Song of Beginning. Its illustrations and text reveal the three Valg kings—Orcus, Many, and Erawan—who wield the keys to the Wyrdgates. A strange clicking sound occurs behind her. Yrene becomes uneasy and decides to leave the library but discovers the body of a young girl who looks like her discarded on the floor. She is drained of life; her “light brown cheeks turned to hollowed husks, eyes stained purple beneath, lips pale and cracked” (130).