Thorn dreams of the night she was taken to the dragons. Her dream ends with a vision of her mother telling her to seek the Crown of Horns. Thorn wakes in a dungeon with Fone.

Grandma finds a group of Vedu who are loyal to her. When Briar’s armies arrive, Briar and Tarsil confront one another. Tarsil reveals his face: He is badly disfigured from his encounter with the dragons. Briar removes her hood to reveal Tarsil’s young, unmarred face and slices him in half. The battle begins.

Fone and Thorn discover that Smiley and Phoney are in the next cell over. The dungeon is completely unguarded. Thorn experiences spells of pain as the Locust grows stronger. Fone makes Thorn promise not to seek the Crown of Horns because he believes it will kill her. Taneal and her brother free Thorn and the Bones.

Thorn and the Bones join Grandma on the parapet, along with Mermie, the Old Teacher, and the other dream masters. The Old Teacher has rounded up an army, but it is composed of untrained farmers.

Briar suddenly pulls her armies back to confer. The stars in the sky turn red as ghost circles descend upon the city.