Grisha who have passed their training come and go frequently from the Little Palace. One day a girl named Zoya arrives, the same Grisha girl who was attracted to Mal in Chapter 1. She is popular, powerful, and beautiful, and she knows it. She is a Squaller, the highest rank of Etherealki. Zoya also wears an amplifier, meaning she is one of the Darkling’s favorites. Zoya dislikes Alina and makes snide comments. Zoya visits Alina’s combat lesson, and they are paired together. Everyone stops to watch as they fight. Although Zoya is stronger than Alina, Alina skillfully brings Zoya down by using Zoya’s own strength against her. Furious, Zoya lashes out and uses her powers to slam Alina into a wall. Alina is taken to the infirmary. Marie and Nadia visit Alina to gossip about consequences Zoya will face, sharing that Zoya left crying from a meeting with the Darkling. To Alina’s surprise, Zoya is jealous of Alina for being the Darkling’s favorite.

Later, Alina wakes up to see the Apparat appear in the infirmary from the shadows. People on the borders are making altars to Alina. The Apparat tells Alina faith is “strong enough to topple kings, and even Darklings” (161).