Nightbane

Oro tries to teach Isla how to grow plants, but she is unable to focus her Wildling power well enough at first. After she breaks down in tears, Isla explains that she does not feel like she deserves to rule. However, Oro comforts her by reminding her how powerful and strong she is, prompting Isla to grow a rose.

Later, Isla decides to explore her powers by stepping through the enchanted forest, which she used to fear when she believed she was powerless. This time, however, she feels an immediate connection with the nature around her. She starts running through the forest, which magically bends to her will and creates a pathway through the upper limbs of the trees. When Isla suddenly catches a glimpse of Grim, or an illusion of him, she loses her focus and falls, but one of her bodyguards catches her before she hits the ground.

After a few days of work, the Wildling village is now mostly fixed and running smoothly. Isla spends time learning about her people’s customs and discovers that many of them have a “bonded”—an animal companion magically linked to them. When Isla decides to get one as well to get her people to trust her, Wren and the Wildlings take her to a nearby swamp to perform the ceremony. Isla must make her way through the darkest part of the forest and hunt one of the creatures that live there until the animal lets her bond with it. On her hunt, Isla spots several creatures but does not feel a connection to them. She is then attacked by a gigantic bear and climbs up a tree to escape it, all the while trying to channel her power into breaking the branches behind her so the bear cannot follow her. When she finally succeeds and reaches the top of the tree, she finds a huge panther. Instead of attacking her, however, the creature lets her mark it with her arrow. He then picks up Isla, and they ride back to the village together. Wren informs Isla that the cat, which does not seem to like Isla very much, is called Lynx and was Isla’s mother’s bonded before she died.

The next day, Isla introduces Oro to Lynx, who takes to him immediately. She then lets Lynx go back to the forest while she gets the castle ready for him, not wanting to keep him caged up. When Isla and Oro go back to Lightlark, they learn that the rebels have been spotted in the underground tunnels of Star Isle. The tunnels were built during the curse after dangerous creatures took over that area of the land. Isla then decides to visit Star Isle and get to know her people before interrogating them about the rebels. Before she leaves, she has another vision of Grim in her mirror.

Isla finds the castle of Star Isle in ruins, all but abandoned by the Starlings after the curse forced them to hide from the other realms. Maren introduces her to some of the remaining Starlings, all younger than 25 years old, including her eight-year-old cousin Cinder. Maren and Cinder then take Isla to their village, which is in poor condition after a fire ravaged it. Isla promises to help the Starlings, and Maren tells her that they are all grateful for her ending their curse.

After Isla has returned to Lightlark and gone to sleep, a flashback depicts another moment of her initial relationship with Grim. Isla has just used her starstick to transport herself to the Nightshade ruler’s chambers so she can give him a vial of healing elixir, a peace offering after she accidentally stabbed him. Grim refuses her gift, so Isla suggests they fight it out in a duel instead. He agrees and takes them to the Wildling forest, where they duel with swords. Grim is more skilled, but Isla tricks him into stepping into a patch of bog sand that slows him down. Grim wins the duel anyway, but he looks impressed by Isla’s skill and lets her go unharmed.

After another training session, Isla sets out to get Grim out of her mind by seducing Oro. However, Oro refuses her advances because he knows that she is too stressed and sleep-deprived. Isla finally tells him about her memories coming back, and Oro suggests she take his room in the castle so she can feel safer. After that, Isla starts to sleep better, and her mental health improves, as do her skills during training. After a particularly successful training session, Isla and Oro start laughing together and end up kissing.

Isla decides that they need to celebrate Copia, a Wildling ritual, on Lightlark as a symbol of peace and cooperation. That same night, she asks Oro to stay with her, and they share an intimate sexual moment.

On the night of Copia, Isla greets the guests, a mix of people from all the realms, with a speech about growth and unity. The dinner goes well, and everyone enjoys themselves, but Isla is plagued by a vision of horror. Grim, speaking in her mind, shows her the guests being ravaged by murderous shadows and warns her that they have a month to leave the island before he attacks it.

Isla visits Cleo to ask her to side with Lightlark against Nightshade. She realizes that Cleo has been hiding something, but the Moonling ruler does not answer her questions. Instead, Cleo tells Isla that, out of loyalty to her own people, she will think about her offer to work together.

Later, Isla gathers all the rulers to share Grim’s warning. They discuss ideas to gather resources and fighters and plan a defense together. That night, Cleo meets Isla in private to tell her that the oracle, who lives on Moon Isle, has awoken and asked to see Isla. She also shares the story of her son, whom she lost to the curse, telling Isla that she is helping her on his behalf. However, the next morning, Isla learns that Cleo and the Moonlings are leaving Lightlark to join Nightshade.

Isla goes to Moon Isle, which is losing its magic now that the Moonlings have left, to meet with the oracle. The latter tells her that Isla already knows everything she needs to know and that she simply has to unlock her lost memories to save Lightlark. She also tells her that she needs to access the vault in the Place of Mirrors. Despite wanting to keep her memories of Grim hidden, Isla decides to recover them to help her people. She asks Remlar to help her master her Nightshade powers so she can access her past and learn what she needs to.

A flashback then depicts Isla returning to Nightshade against Grim’s orders a few months before the Centennial. She is looking through the night market for enchanted skin gloves that could help her survive the Centennial. When she finally finds a shop that sells what she is looking for, the owner assaults her to try and steal her scalp. Isla stabs him and runs away, but she is caught by Grim, who was alerted by the guards, before she can portal back to Wild Isle. Isla is taken to a cell, where Grim interrogates her. He offers her a deal to work together during the Centennial, arguing that she will need his help to survive. In return, he wants Isla to help him find a legendary sword. Desperate, Isla agrees.