When the Moon Hatched

Raeve is returned to her cell and gifts her gruel to the emaciated man in the adjacent cell. She smiles mournfully as she thinks of the world she’ll leave behind tomorrow. Despite its flaws, there is beauty in it—such as the wonky moon in the sky that she’ll never see again.

The King of The Burn, Ostern Vaegor, visits Elluin, who is now 18 years old. He approaches her parents about an arranged marriage between Elluin and one of his sons, Tyroth Vaegor, “who has cruel eyes and an even crueler smile” (215). Her father assures her that he will not accept the proposal. Haedeon has been a husk of himself since returning from Netheryn. He no longer laughs or speaks. Elluin pushes him to strengthen his Moonplume’s wing so that he may fly on her someday. She believes this might be enough to make him smile again.

The undercover King whom Raeve still hasn’t identified returns to unlock the door of her cell. He escorts her to a quiet room at the end of a tunnel housing a lone fleshthread. Though Raeve is apprehensive about allowing the healer, Bhea, close to the whipping wounds on her back, she relents when she realizes that if she runs, the King will certainly give chase.