Alina declares her intent to destroy the Fold to Sturmhond and asks him to help them track down the Sea Whip, to which he agrees. He introduces her to his crew. In her dreams, Kirigan taunts her with how nobody will every understand her like he does. Kirigan awakens in a building that now houses rescued Grisha and demands that Genya heal him, but they are interrupted by one of his monsters.
Kaz offers a partnership to Per Haskell, the leader of the Dregs, but he is rejected. Inej and Jasper discuss their current situation before the rest of their group arrives. Kaz says they need to learn Pekka's business inside out, and to do that they need to copy his books from his accountant. Pekka is anticipating him and Jesper/Wylan and Inej are attacked, but Kaz is able to retrieve what he needs and blow up the office thanks to an assist from Nina.
Kirigan meets with a mysterious woman at a waterfall and retrieves a journal. Behind this waterfall, he has been hiding Baghra.
Mal and Alina track the Sea Whip to an island, and they come ashore along with Sturmhond and some of his crew members. Alina had been hoping to absorb the Sea Whip without killing it, but after it picks off some of the crew, Alina kills it to protect Mal. On the ship, she absorbs its power, which Kirigan is able to sense.
In Hellgate, Matthias worries about his situation and thinks of Nina.
Tropes:
- Age Cut: At the end of Kaz' flashback to his brother, a shot of his young actor's face cuts directly to that of older Kaz.
- Commonality Connection: Tolya and Tamar bond with Alina over the discrimination they faced for being half-Ravkan and half-Shu.
- Cooldown Hug: Alina's light powers go into overdrive after she absorbs the Sea Whip's scales, but Mal is able to stop it by giving her a hug. The two kiss afterwards.
- Does This Remind You of Anything?: Kirigan's demands that Genya (a confirmed abuse survivor) heal him, even if she is visibly uncomfortable with it and attempts to decline several times, is shot a lot like coercive harassment. When the meeting is interrupted by a shadow monster, Kirigan merely holds her tight and says he'd like to keep him close; Genya has to compose herself outside afterwards.
- Due to the Dead: Sturmhond's crew gives a tribute to the members who died chasing the Sea Whip before Alina absorbs its powers.
- Erotic Dream: It's unclear whether it's waking fantasies or memories of dreams, but Matthias has been spending his days in Hellgate Prison having lasviscious montages of Nina.
- Holding Hands: Mal holds Alina's hand when she goes to sleep as a symbol of how he's looking out for her.
- I Call It "Vera": The thugs sent after Jesper bring out a gatling gun they name Henrietta.
- Incurable Cough of Death: A weakened Kirigan has begun ominously coughing blood.
- Insistent Terminology: Sturmhond insists that he's not a pirate, he's a privateer. The difference, he explains, is that he has a license to conduct what he does.
- Just Between You and Me: Pekka has trapped Kaz and takes the time to explain that he has also taken steps to get rid of Jesper and Inej.
- Mundane Solution: Kaz lays out a complex plan to get into a building and figure out where Henrik's office is, giving each member assignments of watching various people and try to track any clue to Henrik's location. Nina suddenly supplies the actual office location, as she reasoned that people who work in places like that are likely to order food from places such as the tavern the Crows are currently sitting in, so she asked the waitress.
- "Not So Different" Remark: Alina rejects Kirigan's declaration that there are no other people like them, and tells him that she is not like him.
- Taxidermy Is Creepy: Mogens, the hitman who is sent after Inej, is a creep who wears a pig mask with a penchant for taxidermy. There are references to him taking "trophies" of his victims, and he creepily tells Inej that whatever trophy he takes won't damage her "value".
- Why Don't You Just Shoot Him?: Nina asks that it would be easy for the Crows to kill Pekka, so why bother with revenge? Kaz says that killing him won't clear their names, but he also has a personal motivation for wanting vengeance.
