Ciri decides to reclaim her birthright and expose the Emperor's lie, but hears that the Rats are being tracked by a notorious bounty hunter, Leo Bonhart.

Nilfgaard's spymaster, Vattier de Rideaux, wants Ciri captured alive, but the Imperial coroner, Stefan Skellen, secretly hired Bonhart to kill her.

Meanwhile, having saved Queen Meve of Rivia, Geralt and his party – the bard Dandelion, Milva the archer, higher vampire Regis, and former Nilfgaardian soldier, Cahir – travel with her army.

Partnering up with the young woman Angoulême, a former member of this group, they decide to ambush the bandits and discover who hired them, who Geralt suspects to be the wizard Vilgefortz.

He discovers that the magicians of the newly formed Sorceress' Lodge have begun to establish Kovir as a nation sympathetic to magic, under their control.

Triss Merigold, a member of the Lodge privately questioning its motives, searches for information on Yennefer of Vengerberg, who is believed to be dead.

It is revealed that Yennefer survived her escape from the Lodge and took refuge in Skellige, requesting aid from the jarl, Crach an Craite, to find Vilgefortz.

During her time here, she has a vision of Ragh Nar Roog, the end of the world, and is urged by what appears to be the mythical Modron Freya to choose a side.

Vilgefortz guesses that Skellen is working for a number of Nilfgaardian nobles, who are angry at their daughters being rejected as the Emperor's bride in favor of the fake Ciri.