After learning this, Amari decides to announce her rule, asking for Roën's help in taking control, but is interrupted by the still-alive Queen Nehanda.

Nehanda, now an extremely powerful tîtán, a member of the nobility who recently gained magic, is searching for Amari, and calling for her death.

Roën abandons them when he realizes they can’t afford to pay for his help, and though the group manages to escape, Zélie’s lionaire throws her against a tree and she is left unconscious.

Inan goes before the advisors, expressing his desire to create peace in Orïsha, and orders the monarchy to hand out rations to the people, who are starving after much of the city and roads were destroyed.

When they finally meet the Iyika, Zélie learns that Mama Agba is the founder of the group, and that they have built a sanctuary called Ile Ijosin.

In the days following the battle, Amari stays in her room, the Healers refuse to treat her injuries, and she feels ostracized by the rest of the maji.

Once back at Ile Ijosin, Mama Agba explains that what happened with Amari was a result of the moonstone, which allows maji to join their lifeforces, or create cênters, but at the price of a blood sacrifice.

Mama Agba suggests that Amari killing her father, Saran, was the act of sacrifice that made both her and her mother cênters.

Zélie asks if the moonstone can be used to join maji of different clans, but Mama Agba tells her it only leads to disaster; the last time it was attempted the combination of magic created majacite.

Inan had initially offered to come and make a treaty with the Iyika, but before they can discuss it royal soldiers, led by General Jokôye, a Winder cênter, attack them.

While Zélie suggests they use this opportunity to escape Orïsha, Amari insists they stay and fight, as both Inan and the capital city will be vulnerable.

In Ibadan, Nehanda reveals to Inan that she was responsible for the Raid, as she created the tension between the monarchy and the maji by having Burners attack the nobility.

The other Iyika don’t realize this, and Amari along with Cancers Jahi and Imani send a wave of disease through the village, planning to sacrifice the people of Ibadan to kill Nehanda and Inan.

When she finds him, she begins to kill him, drawing the life from his body, but is stopped when she sees Roën racing down the hallway, a cloud of thick white gas following him.

[4][5] Writing the book over four rough drafts which were 600 pages long, Adeyemi wrote it as organic as she wanted it and as quickly as the ideas came to her while still exploring West African mythology.