As Dumai travels to Brhazat. Furtia still struggles from battling Taugran, and the progress is slow. On their way, Kanifa challenges Dumai’s relationship with Nikeya, recognizing Dumai’s feelings but warning her against loving Nikeya.

Glorian brings her people to the city of Arondine to hide them in the area's many caves. However, she is quickly summoned to Glowan Castle by Lady Gladwin, where she learns of Lord Robart’s scheme and thus imprisons him. She names her grandmother, Lady Marian, as her new regent, and despite learning that Prince Guma is aligned with Lord Robart’s scheme, plans to uphold the marriage and blackmail Prince Guma for his aid in defeating Fyredel. Glorian and Wulf enter a handfast—a secret, one-year marriage—in which they will try to conceive a child.

Dumai arrives at the mountain and begins searching for the astronomer, finding a door at the peak. Furtia brings Nikeya to the ground and inside, Dumai and Kanifa find the astronomer, Tonra, dead but completely preserved. They find mention of the star and a powerful stone in her papers. Dumai finds the stone in the hands of Tonra, but with the dragons gone, Kanifa and Dumai must climb back down. They slip, and Kanifa cuts the rope between them, sacrificing himself for Dumai.