30. The Betrayal

Adolin's group arrives at a spren waystop after their sea voyage through Shadesmar. While scouting the town, Shallan makes contact with Mraize using a communication cube, suggesting she is still working with the Ghostbloods. Adolin encounters a newly created deadeye Cryptic and learns from a shopkeeper that new deadeyes have been appearing—a troubling discovery that suggests recent Radiant betrayals. The chapter ends with Godeke alerting Adolin to something unusual about the human traders in the town.

The chapter opens with Adolin and the others arriving at a spren settlement after weeks of sea travel. Adolin insists on scouting before disembarking and sends Shallan, disguised as a cultivationspren, to investigate the town. While waiting, Adolin worries about their dwindling Stormlight supply and reflects on Jasnah's concerns about the suspicious uniformity of flawed gemstones in circulation. He practices katas with his longsword, and Maya, the deadeye peakspren, joins him in perfect synchronization, stunning observers. Ua'pam questions how Adolin has achieved this with a being he claims should be permanently broken.

Once ashore, Shallan (as Veil) volunteers to guard the barge, sending everyone else into town. She reveals to Pattern that someone has been accessing her personal trunk, which contains a communication cube. She activates it using Mraize's name, and he responds, having been waiting for contact. The exchange confirms Shallan is still connected to the Ghostbloods and has unfinished business with them.

Adolin explores the town with his soldiers and Maya, observing the strange economy and diverse spren inhabitants. Maya becomes fixated on another deadeye—a Cryptic whose pattern has been broken. She pulls Adolin toward the shop where it waits. The shopkeeper, an inkspren, reveals the Cryptic was his business partner who left ten years ago seeking Radiants, only to be found afflicted as a deadeye just recently. This indicates new deadeyes are being created—a phenomenon that should be impossible. Adolin realizes this means recent Radiant oaths have been broken somewhere in the world. Godeke then arrives with urgent news about something concerning the human traders in the town.