Chapter 36

Kyzari is discovered by the Scavenger King while secretly crafting lockpicks from bone shards to escape her cell. He delivers a message from Pah revealing that her maid Marci has been killed and that Surí will suffer if she doesn't return immediately. When she refuses to hand over Nee, her beloved lark companion, the Scavenger King tears the creature apart, leaving Kyzari devastated and trapped.

Kyzari works methodically to fashion bone picks in her cell while Nee, a small lark, watches from the ceiling. When a guard delivers meals, she maintains a facade of gratitude to avoid suspicion. After he leaves, she tests her nearly-completed picks on the lock mechanism, drawing on memories of flying with Surí to visualize the work. The Scavenger King suddenly appears and catches her talking to herself; she claims loneliness drove her to speak to the wall. He presents her with a lark message from Pah, which reveals that her maid Marci died in flames—a consequence of Pah's cruelty tied to a Bloodlace tether. The message threatens that Surí will suffer if Kyzari doesn't return immediately. Devastated by Marci's death and her own responsibility, Kyzari refoils the lark carefully. The Scavenger King then demands the bone picks, which she surrenders. He explains that his miskunn has foreseen her escape regardless, and that hope is too dangerous a weapon to allow. When he reaches for Nee, Kyzari panics, begging him not to take her companion. He threatens to destroy the lark in his pocket—implying another maid or Surí's fate depends on it. Forced to surrender Nee, Kyzari sings a lullaby to her beloved companion as a final goodbye. The Scavenger King abruptly tears Nee apart mid-song, drops the lifeless halves, and leaves. Kyzari collapses, gathering the remains of her lark and screaming until her voice breaks.