Chapter 53

The group infiltrates the Forest of Harthor to reach the Moltenmaws' nesting grounds, moving silently through oppressive terrain while Raeve battles mysterious internal pain. They reach a hidden treehut entrance and prepare to rest while Roan works on locating his young protégé, with Líri having secretly followed them despite orders.

Raeve's party travels single-file through the Forest of Harthor, a boggy expanse created by a fallen Moltenmaw moon, toward the nesting grounds at Bhoggith. The group moves carefully to avoid detection by the Moltenmaws screeching overhead, their scents masked with mud. Raeve experiences intense, recurring spinal pain that nearly drops her multiple times; she internally attributes this to Sereme, someone to whom she is blood-bound. She discovers Líri, a creature of some kind, has followed them despite Kaan's orders for silence, appearing as a silky tail in the canopy. Raeve decides to ignore the breach rather than risk drawing Líri into danger. At the forest's edge, the party observes the vast marshland of nesting grounds dotted with spherical nests on mossy mounds, Moltenmaws building and guarding with both parents present—meaning they cannot yet retrieve the moonshard until the aurora rises. Roan reveals a hidden doorway using a magical elixir and runes, leading them into a hollow tree containing spiral stairs and a treehut interior. Kaan confirms he knows Líri followed them. Raeve sharpens her blades obsessively, and when Kaan warns her the mission is about stealth, not killing, she dismisses his concern. Pyrok notices her strange behavior and asks if something is wrong; she deflects. She resolves to use the rest period to access her "internal lake" and consume more of Bulder's harsh language through her connection to her Other, building strength against Sereme's control.