38. Rhythm of the Terrors

This chapter consists of three interconnected storylines: Navani discovers a servant has been placed as a spy and prepares to interrogate him while receiving urgent news of an explosion; Venli and a Fused strike force led by Raboniel breach Urithiru's lower defenses through ancient tunnels during the Everstorm; and Kaladin tends to patients while learning of the missing Dabbid. The tower faces simultaneous threats from within and without.

Navani spends time in the tower's basement with her scholars, where young Ardent Tomor demonstrates an unexpectedly creative lifting fabrial designed as a gauntlet rather than the stationary lift she'd requested. After testing it and providing feedback, Navani returns to find soldiers have captured a wiry man attempting to plant a spanreed fabrial in her workstation—a replacement for the one she destroyed weeks earlier. The man, identified as a servant associated with the Radiants, refuses to speak. Navani plans to interrogate him in her audience chamber with the aid of a Lightweaver to detect invisible spren. However, as she leaves the basement, she receives an urgent spanreed message mentioning an explosion and deaths, forcing her to abandon the interrogation plan. Meanwhile, as the Everstorm arrives, Venli travels with Raboniel and approximately five hundred soldiers, including Deepest Ones—creatures who can phase through stone. They locate an ancient tunnel entrance to Urithiru, discovering the protective ralkalest barrier has deteriorated. The Deepest Ones infiltrate the tunnel system, with the Masked Ones sent away due to spiritual protections in the tower. When human soldiers arrive on patrol, Venli kills one in close combat for the first time, an experience that deeply disturbs her despite her hatred of humans for their historical murders of her people. Raboniel coldly eliminates the remaining soldiers and retrieves a spanreed from a dead human woman, then leads her force deeper into the tower's cavern system toward the tower proper. In the medical wing, Kaladin discusses mental illness and medical education with his father Lirin, realizing he could implement significant changes. Teft arrives with troubling news: Dabbid, the nonverbal soldier, has been missing for three days and was not at his quarters. The Everstorm visible outside reminds Kaladin of the storm's arrival. Teft also mentions returning headaches, possibly related to cravings from his past addiction.