Two days after Bryce Quinlan vanishes and her allies are captured, Lidia Cervos remains undercover as both the Hind to the Asteri and Agent Daybright for the Ophion rebels. The Asteri believe Bryce is in Hel, but Lidia becomes convinced she is not, as they focus their search on locating her using enslaved Vanir mystics. Meanwhile, the Asteri develop mech-suits and weapons, posing a new threat to the human rebels. Lidia is tasked with interrogating Hunt, Ruhn, and Baxian, but her telepathic attempts to communicate with Ruhn are ignored.
In Prythian, Bryce is interrogated by Fae lords, including Rhysand and Azriel, and they discover she possesses Starsword, the lost twin to Azriel’s dagger. She shares her knowledge of the Asteri, including their history of conquering worlds and their quest to destroy Prythian. Bryce’s Horn tattoo reacts strangely when she’s given a language tablet, and she reveals the existence of an ancient magical book capable of nullifying the Cauldron.
Meanwhile, Tharion Ketos, a defector from the River Queen, is serving the Viper Queen as a prized fighter. Ithan Holstrom and his group are trying to track down their imprisoned friends, but they need Tharion’s help to commandeer a ship to escape the Asteri’s forces. In Prythian, Bryce discovers tunnels and ancient Fae artwork, which leads her and Nesta to uncover dangerous traps. In the Asteri prison, Hunt clings to his love for Bryce, believing she is in Hel, while shadows ominously watch him.
Lidia, revealing her dual agent status, seeks Ithan’s group’s help to free her captured friends, handing over a stone to summon the Depth Charger, a ship that will take them to Midgard. Meanwhile, Bryce and Nesta’s journey continues as they uncover more secrets and dangers in their path, with Azriel shadowing them. In the Asteri prison, Hunt informs his fellow captives that Bryce never made it to Hel.
In Lunathion, the Viper Queen agrees to release Tharion and his companions if Ithan agrees to fight for her in a private match. Lidia, using a burner phone, contacts the Ophion rebel group, known as Agent Daybright, to request their help, learning that the rebellion has suffered a setback after Cormac’s death. Meanwhile, in Prythian, Nesta becomes curious about the eight-pointed star on Bryce’s chest, realizing it’s connected to a similar symbol that appeared on her back after making a Fae bargain with her mate, Cassian.
The Middengard Wyrm attacks Bryce’s group, drawn by her self-inflicted wounds. Bryce fights the creature, but when the Wyrm absorbs Nesta’s magic, she uses the Mask—a long-lost artifact—to reanimate the dead and help defeat the Wyrm. As they continue their journey, Bryce’s wounds continue to attract trouble, and Lidia telepathically communicates with Ruhn, confirming Bryce is not in Hel. Ruhn, however, remains distant.
They reach a chasm, which Bryce crosses with the help of Azriel’s magic. On the other side, they find a wall etched with the eight-pointed star, which seems to be connected to Bryce’s power. They are then transported to a cavern called the Prison, where they discover the Harp, an artifact that allows movement between worlds. A hologram of Silene, an ancestor of Bryce, appears and shares the history of the Asteri and their enslavement of the High Fae, including Bryce’s ancestor, Theia.
The story continues with Theia’s struggle against the Asteri, her eventual betrayal, and the opening of a portal to Midgard. Theia’s daughters, Silene and Helena, play key roles in the downfall of the Asteri. Silene eventually gave birth to Rhysand, unaware of her true lineage. Rigelus of the Asteri extracts Hunt’s powers, and Lidia is instructed to prepare him for further torture. Azriel and Nesta discover that the Horn is also tattooed on Bryce’s back, realizing she might bring the Asteri to their world.
Lidia frees Irithys from her shackles and deceives Rigelus by burning herself to cover up Irithys’s escape. Bryce and her group then discover a hidden chamber, where they find a dark-haired woman trapped in a sarcophagus. She reveals herself as Vesperus, the Evening Star, an Asteri, and explains that the Asteri can destroy entire worlds, including Prythian, by using the Cauldron.
Vesperus prepares to attack, but Bryce and Nesta combine their powers to destroy her. In Lunathion, Ithan’s group heads to the Depth Charger, and Ithan plans to return to the city to “make it right.” Fearing capture by the Night Court, Bryce opens a portal and returns to Midgard, bringing the magical swords with her.
In the Asteri prison, Aidas informs Hunt that Rigelus is likely harvesting his lightning magic for its resurrection potential, while the Hammer and the Hawk have decided to kill Ruhn. Meanwhile, Bryce returns to Midgard and is immediately apprehended by her father, the Autumn King, who uses gorsian shackles to bind her magic. He questions her about the world she visited, seeking information for his personal research. Bryce shares details about Prythian, the Fae’s original world, and reveals her theft of Truth-Teller to unite the twin swords in fulfillment of a prophecy.
The Autumn King discusses his research on the Fae’s weakening powers and their struggle against the Asteri. He believes the Fae are diminishing because the Asteri are devouring too much of their power. Meanwhile, in the Eternal City, Ithan meets Jesiba Roga, who agrees to help him find a necromancer to resurrect Sigrid. In Lunathion, the Autumn King reveals that Truth-Teller and Starsword can open a black hole, and Bryce wonders if answers lie in the Fae island of Avallen.
In the Asteri prison, Lidia kills the Hawk as she frees Ruhn, Hunt, and Baxian, and they escape the city with the help of Ophion rebels. Lidia sacrifices herself by jumping off a cliff to avoid capture, dying from a bullet wound. Back at the Depth Charger, Lidia is resurrected by medwitches, and the Ocean Queen warns Tharion that sheltering him could lead to war with other Fae. Ithan continues working for Jesiba, learning about her true identity as an immortal Parthos Priestess cursed by Apollion.
Bryce secretly restrains the Autumn King with gorsian shackles she found in Ruhn’s room, revealing her intent to learn about his research. She then uses her powers to teleport to Hunt. At the Depth Charger, Lidia is reunited with her children, though her relationship with them is strained. Bryce arrives at a meeting with the Ocean Queen, demanding help to travel to Avallen. Lidia is summoned by the Ocean Queen, who is angry at her for abandoning her role as the Hind. Bryce and her group prepare to split up upon reaching Avallen, with plans to search the Archives and the Cave of Princes. Lidia visits her sons before the ship docks at Avallen, leaving her heirloom ring with Brann. Meanwhile, Jesiba agrees to pay the Astronomer to let Sigrid's return slide, and Hypaxia, a former Queen of the Valbaran Witches, is summoned to help with Sigrid's resurrection.
Bryce and her group arrive at Avallen, where Bryce uses the Starsword to create a path through the mist, allowing them to board a boat that takes them to King Morven’s throne room. Tharion, disobeying the Ocean Queen’s orders, follows them. In the throne room, the Murder Twins hold Sathia Flynn captive, as she refuses to marry one of them in exchange for protection. Bryce demands access to the Archives and Cave of Princes, which Morven initially denies, but she convinces him by presenting the Autumn King’s journal. Tharion impulsively marries Sathia to free her.
Meanwhile, in the Eternal City, Ithan and Hypaxia resurrect Sigrid, but she is turned into a Reaper loyal to the Under-King. Hypaxia believes they can fix the problem by retrieving a Thunderbird, whose lightning can aid resurrection, but the only Thunderbird, Sofie Renast, is dead and in Avallen. Bryce and her friends begin their searches in the Archives and Cave of Princes. They uncover a map of ancient Avallen showing nearby islands that disappeared after the First Wars. Lidia and Ruhn reconcile while working in the Archives, but trouble arises as Ithan hears explosions in the city, marking an attack by the Asteri.
At the Cave of Princes, Sathia confronts Bryce about what will happen to the Fae after defeating the Asteri, to which Bryce reveals her disillusionment with the Fae. Meanwhile, Ruhn and Lidia’s relationship grows as they continue to work together. Ithan and Hypaxia rush to help survivors in the Eternal City, while Bryce and her group discover black salt in a cavern, which helps them enter a dreamscape where they meet Princes of Hel—Aidas, Apollion, and Thanatos. The Princes reveal that Bryce now contains a portion of Theia’s magic, and they offer to aid her in the fight against the Asteri.
Back in the Cave of Princes, Bryce and her friends are trapped by fire, and Sathia, controlled by the Murder Twins, threatens Bryce with a dagger. Bryce uses her magic to break free, summoning the twin blades and defeating the Murder Twins. After the battle, Bryce kills both the Autumn King and King Morven, becoming Queen of the Valbaran Fae and Queen of Avallen. She realizes that the prophecy about uniting the sword and dagger is not just for the Fae, but for all races on Midgard. By placing the sword and dagger in the star-shaped slits, she unlocks the final third of Theia’s power.
With Theia’s magic fully within her, Bryce causes the islands surrounding Avallen to rise from the sea, rejuvenating the land. As the castle crumbles, Bryce declares that all who seek shelter in Avallen will be welcomed without a price. News of the Asteri’s devastation in Asphodel Meadows reaches them, with the Triarii, Pollux and Mordoc, having destroyed many Ophion bases and killed innocent humans.
Bryce plans to open the Northern Rift and allow Hel's armies to enter, while Ithan and Hypaxia arrive in Avallen to request Sofie Renast's body from King Morven. Bryce informs them that the body is under the rubble of Morven's palace but asks for Hypaxia’s help to find an antidote to the Asteri’s magic-sucking parasite. Hypaxia and Ithan return to the House of Flame and Shadow with crystals containing Hunt's lightning to stabilize the antidote. Bryce sends Ruhn and Lidia to Lunathion to seek Hunt's angel allies and has Baxian remain in Avallen to manage refugees, while Tharion and Sathia try to convince the River Queen to shelter as many as possible.
Meanwhile, Ithan and Hypaxia theorize that the biology of Reapers could provide clues for the antidote. In Avallen, Bryce’s parents, along with her pet and friends, arrive, and Fury provides them with gear to traverse the Northern Rift. In the Eternal City, Hypaxia creates a temporary antidote that enhances Ithan's powers, granting him access to ice and snow magic. Ithan plans to speak with the wolves about the parasite, the antidote, and Sigrid, but when he arrives at the Den, Sabine and the Astronomer accuse him of turning Sigrid into a Reaper. After the wolves' Prime Apparent arrives and clears Ithan of the charges, Sabine kills him and Sigrid consumes his soul, leading Ithan to defeat Sabine in a battle.
Ruhn and Lidia search for commanders of the 33rd Legion in Lunathion, and Tharion and Sathia continue their negotiations with the River Queen. Bryce and her group, including Hunt and her parents, make their way to the Northern Rift, only to find it unguarded, with the resurrected Harpy on the move. In the Eternal City, Ithan speaks with the wolves about the antidote and his full power, but Sabine interrupts, leading to a confrontation. Ithan becomes the new Prime Apparent, and the wolves swear allegiance to him. Bryce opens a portal to Prythian, where she asks Nesta for the Mask in exchange for her parents' safety. After a tense moment, Nesta agrees and Bryce pushes her parents through the portal, just before the Harpy arrives.
The Harpy is intercepted by Isaiah and Naomi, along with Lunathion’s Governor Celestina, who had previously betrayed Bryce and Hunt. Bryce uses the Mask to kill the Harpy, and Hunt nearly kills Celestina in retaliation for her betrayal, but Bryce intervenes. Bryce reveals her plan to raise the Fallen and use Mech-Suits to fight the Asteri, while Celestina will distract Ephraim, an Archangel. Meanwhile, Ithan receives word from Bryce and goes to the Under-King to speak with his dead brother, Connor. Ithan is angered by the Under-King’s tyranny and, with Hypaxia’s help, kills him by freezing him into shards.
Hypaxia becomes the official leader of the House of Flame and Shadow after killing the Under-King. When she restores Connor’s ability to speak, he reveals that he and the other spirits imbued a bullet with their secondlight, instructing Ithan to deliver it, along with the Gunslayer Rifle, to Bryce. This bullet will act as a bomb capable of destroying the Asteri’s firstlight core, their primary food source. Tharion and Sathia return to Midgard, where the Viper Queen has Sathia’s former lover, Colin, under her control. Ithan and Hypaxia’s new power roles convince the Viper Queen to leave Tharion alone, and Hypaxia administers the antidote to Tharion, tasking him with delivering the rest to Bryce.
As Bryce, Hunt, Ruhn, and Lidia head to the Eternal City, Bryce and Hunt record Asteri secrets to inspire rebellion. They spend the night in a safe house, where an intense merging of their magic and souls occurs during an intimate moment. Meanwhile, Perry is the only wolf left behind in Lunathion to help the remaining wolves, while Ithan persuades the rest to seek refuge. Sathia leaves a note for Tharion about freeing Colin from the Viper Queen. Ruhn comforts Lidia, and the two have sex.
Ithan buries the former Prime Apparent and heads to the Eternal City with the Gunslayer Rifle and secondlight bullet. Bryce and her team split up, with Ruhn and Lidia rescuing Brann and Actaeon, Declan hacking the security cameras, Flynn acting as a driver, and Bryce and Hunt preparing to reanimate the Fallen and destroy the firstlight core. In the palace, Bryce uses the Mask to reanimate the Fallen’s pieces of soul and wings. Rigelus, unaware that Bryce has split Hel's army, smugly reveals his plans to conquer Hel while its armies fight the Eternal City.
Bryce and Hunt teleport to the Northern Rift, where Hel’s armies are under attack. Bryce uses the Mask to bring the Fallen into Mech-Suits and fight back against the Asterian Guard. Meanwhile, Ruhn and Lidia are led to the firstlight core under the palace, where Ruhn confronts Pollux alone, and Lidia’s sons are held captive. Bryce and Hunt drain their power to blast the core's protective crystal. Tharion, who lost the antidotes, finds them and administers them to Lidia, unlocking her fire magic and healing her.
Bryce and Hunt arrive at the firstlight core, where Rigelus awaits. Ruhn faces Pollux, and Lidia uses her fire to destroy Pollux after he threatens her sons. Lidia nearly dies while destroying Asteri missile launchers but is saved by fire sprites and Irythis. Ruhn uses the antidote to heal Tharion. Ithan delivers the Gunslayer Rifle and secondlight bullet, but Bryce knows using it will leave her vulnerable to Rigelus. She gives Hunt the Mask and teleports to the core alone, only to learn that destroying the core would kill Midgard.
Bryce refuses Rigelus’s offer to make her a conqueror, shooting the bullet into the core, which activates a black hole that pulls in the Asteri, including Bryce. Hunt, remembering their magic transfer, uses his powers to enter the black hole with the help of Shahar’s reanimated spirit, who sacrifices herself to rid Midgard of Rigelus. Hunt attempts to resuscitate Bryce, but she’s dead from lack of oxygen. Jesiba, with Hypaxia’s help, transfers her immortality to Bryce, allowing her to return to life.
After the Asteri collapse, Hunt declines the offer to lead the angels, giving the honor to Isaiah. Bryce reclaims her parents from Prythian and returns the Mask and Truth-Teller, leaving Nesta with the Starsword. Ruhn and Lidia reunite her sons with their fathers, and Bryce permanently closes the Northern Rift. Tharion searches for Sathia in the Meat Market, but Ariadne finds him. Bryce announces the end of the royal houses and establishes a democratic Senate, turning her father’s mansion into an orphanage. She opens a gallery with Jesiba's inheritance and hires Sigrid’s former fire sprites. Ruhn and Lidia settle nearby, and Ithan, Flynn, and Declan welcome the returning wolves. Hypaxia continues creating antidotes while scientists work on alternative power sources for Midgard.
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