Summary

In Chapter 37, “In Which the Witch Learns Something Shocking,” Xan, still a swallow, watches Antain as he sets camp for the night. Antain feels an odd sense of comfort in being around the bird and he begins to talk to it. Antain explains the ritual of the Day of Sacrifice and the belief of the citizens of the Protectorate in the Witch. Xan feels incredible guilt when she realizes that she never bothered to investigate the matter further, or to try and explain herself to those in the Protectorate.

In Chapter 38, “In Which the Fog Begins to Lift,” Ethyne walks through the Protectorate with a Sister of the Stars, Mae. She remembers her time in the Tower and she recalls why she left. Ethyne paid close attention to her studies in the Tower and realized that no one ever mentioned a Witch, which...