Molly Rose, while walking home from a club with some friends, quite drunk, takes a turn into an alleyway. She begins to notice movement in the shadows; a wave of shadow forms and begins to chase her. She runs until her shoes get stuck in the now strangely black pavement. She tries to keep running, but her hose have gotten stuck as well, and when she takes them off her feet become just as tightly held. The shadow surrounds her and she falls into darkness.
Avalon is standing in Amber, looking down at the rebuilt Rebma. She’s not sure how she got there, but before she can really wonder about it, she hears someone screaming for their mother. She turns to see her daughter running for the castle gates, being pursued by some sort of lightning storm. Bolts of lightning are striking at the castle, targeting the Amberites. Michaela is eventually struck down by a series of bolts, but before Avalon can get to her, chasms open in the ground. Huge gold rings surround the castle, tightening around it and eventually toppling it into the ocean. She watches her daughter’s body fall towards the ocean…and then awakes with a start in her bedroom in Kairos, drenched in sweat.
Molly Rose awakens in an armchair in a strange room. The fireplace is an odd shape, the walls seem to be stone, and the rain outside the window is raining up. She yells for her mother, and a creature unlike any she has ever seen before looks into the room. Slate-gray skin, long nose, cat-like eyes, a hint or two of tusks, and a long neck peer around the door at her, then inform her it will fetch it’s mistress. Molly Rose tries to leave after it’s gone, but the door very politely informs her it cannot let her leave. She attempts to tell it that doors don’t talk, but the door begs to differ. It tells her to drink the tea and crackers on the grille by the fireplace to help with her hangover. Just then, shadows well up in one of the chairs; they split open to reveal a young, dark-haired woman in dark clothing. The woman tells Molly Rose that she has been taken to a place near the Courts of Chaos…it is time for her to learn about her true home. Molly Rose tries to protest, but the woman summons the shadows around her again, and MR is surrounded by darkness again.
Audney is strolling the grounds of house Marlene in Chaos when a demon appears and informs her it has a delivery for her. The demon spits out Molly Rose, who is limply holding a letter in her hand and looking quite dazed. The note says that Molly Rose is believed by the sender to have an important role to play in the events to come. It’s signed with a fancy S; Audney assumes it must be from Samantha. Audney begins to try to explain the universe to the reluctant Molly Rose.
As Avalon is sitting in her bed recovering from the nightmare, she receives word that a messenger from Amber has arrived with a message for her. Oberon is calling a meeting of all of the family of Amber immediately. He has also commanded total trump silence under pain of death. Avalon rouses Morgan, and they trump to Amber to find Brand and Diedre having a rather vicious argument, a pissed-off looking Benedict, and a lot of other confused family members. A servant announces that they are all to stay in the castle, and Oberon will make his announcement at dawn.
Audney is interrupted in her attempts to bring Molly Rose to grips with her new reality by a trump contact from Amanda, who wants her to keep a trump contact with her open until the announcement has been made, so someone else can see what’s going on. Audney tries to force Molly Rose to come with her, but Molly Rose pulls away with a strength that almost knocks Audney over. After some arguing, Molly Rose agrees to wait and see what happens through the trump contact.
In Amber, all the Amberites have gathered in the throne room to hear the announcement. Oberon storms in with an expression that looks like it could kill people. He calls forth Eric, Flora, Brand, Diedre, Avalon, Morgan, Michael, and Michaela. Michael and Michaela are not present, but he continues nonetheless. It is his will that those that violated his law of not marrying one’s siblings during his absence will be punished, as well as their offspring. The 8 names are exiled from Amber under pain of death, and will be stricken from all records and monuments in Amber. Flora breaks down, the meeting disperses.
Amanda pulls Audney and Molly Rose into Amber through the trump connection…there is a lot of gossip and questions about what just occurred. Brand and Diedre fight again; Brand trumps Diedre and then himself away. Eric and Flora trump away as well, Avalon and Morgan go home to Kairos, Amanda is called away by Caine, and Audney and Molly Rose go to Discworld.
Audney starts going through the trumps, naming the family off for Molly Rose and trying to explain what they can do. She drops one of her cards, which Molly Rose instantly recognizes as a picture of her father and grabs it. She tells Audney that the man on the trump card, Don Joseph, is her father. Audney tries to determine what powers Molly Rose might have through a trial-and-error process. She seems to have pattern, but before she can really explain pattern to Molly Rose, a pair of panther-sized Siamese cat creatures with human faces attacks them. Audney tries to protect Molly Rose, but she has trouble dealing with the creatures; they have a way of dispelling her magic. Audney yells at Molly Rose to use the pattern to get to a safe place. Molly Rose runs…and then comes out of the woods, yelling at Audney to use one of the cards. Audney pulls out a trump to try and use trump defense, but the creature bites the card and bursts into flames. Within moments, both card and creature are destroyed. Molly Rose says she heard the voice of her dad telling her what to do with the trump cards to destroy the creatures.
Audney tries to teach Molly Rose how to walk through shadow using the pattern; their first several attempts are unsuccessful. Audney finally remembers the name of Don Joseph’s shadow and walks there, but can’t remember the password to get in. She trumps Avalon to see if she remembers, which she does, but won’t tell until Audney comes to Kairos and tells her what’s going on. Audney has just finished explaining things when she receives a trump call from Mishra that requires her immediate presence in Chaos. She leaves Molly Rose with Avalon and goes to Chaos. Mishra charges her with the care and tutelage of her young brother Hazdrellion. She tries to trump back to Avalon, but her contact is refused.
Avalon tells Molly Rose about Don Joseph’s presumed death and the events surrounding it. Molly Rose gets upset and tries to leave, but Avalon makes her stay and listen, trying to make her understand, which just makes her more upset. Morgan helps Audney and Drell break into the shadow, has a bit of a fight with Avalon and abysses out. Avalon lets Molly Rose go, and takes the rest to Mobland, gets them in, and leaves.
Audney, Drell and Molly Rose poke around in one of Don Joseph’s offices for a little bit, then drive to Molly Rose’s mother’s house. Audney notes that the pool cleaner they see on their way in looks exactly like Dworkin; Drell talks to the pool cleaner for a little bit, gets some gum. The trio goes inside and talks to Molly Rose’s mother for a little bit. Audney tries to convince Molly Rose not to turn her back on Amber.
Meanwhile, Avalon gets a hesitant trump contact for the third time in the last couple of days. She accepts, and finally gets to speak with her daughter. She tells her about Oberon’s decree, finds out that Michaela and Blaine are with Caine. Blaine has been keeping Michaela from contacting much, and Sam is no longer with them because of a fight between her and Blaine. Sam was apparently having the same nightmare as Avalon.
Audney and Molly Rose hear a crash from the kitchen where they’d left Molly Rose’s mother, and Drell screams. They rush in to see Molly Rose’s mother on the floor suffering from a heart attack; what they don’t know is that Drell cast a spell to cause it. Servants call 911, and Molly Rose uses the pattern to increase the probability that her mother will be okay. Drell wanders off and starts playing with a gun he found. He drops one of the silver bullets and accidentally steps on it; pink powder spills out and stains the carpet a little. Drell sticks gum over the stain to hide it.
Audney finally admits she can’t teach Molly Rose how to use the pattern since she doesn’t use it herself. They decide to go to Rebma to find Llewella.
Avalon tries to trump Samantha to ask her about the dream, can’t get through. She then tries Morgan, but his trump grows hot, like he’s in the Abyss. She trumps to the edge of the Abyss, and tries to get him to come out and talk to her. Suddenly, the gates of Chaos open, and Lane comes riding out like all Hell’s on his heels. She sends one last message to Morgan, and follows Lane into the shadows that border Chaos. He stops at a small hut in the middle of nowhere. Flora opens the door and welcomes Lane warmly. Avalon uses trump spy on Lane in time to hear Flora asking him if he’s told Audney yet. He is ashamed and says he can’t…Audney wouldn’t understand how much he needs Flora. The conversation continues on that vein for a minute, then Avalon senses Lane’s heart rate increase, and Flora pulls the blinds in the hut, and Avalon loses the contact. She returns to Kairos.
Molly Rose, Audney, and Drell are stopped at the gates of Rebma by the guards, who inform them that Llewella isn’t there and refuse to let them in. They go back up the stairs and meet Alderac, who was just about to go down. Audney and Alderac snipe at each other in their usual fashion, until Alderac tires of the petty bickering and heads down the stairs to Rebma. Molly Rose follows him and confronts him about his part in her father’s death. Alderac tells her about his part in the battle, and his suspicions that Don Joseph was not acting of his own will; he suspects that Brand cast a spell on him. He promises Molly Rose that if the time comes to strike Brand down, his sword will be at her service.
Molly Rose rejoins Audney and Drell, and the trio continues the search for someone to teach Molly Rose how to use the pattern. They trump to the castle gates, where Benedict nearly kills them all as they materialize, then lets them go into the city.
Avalon starts making trump contacts to the other exiled Amberites. Eric is currently fighting Corwin for control of shadow Avalon again, and has had no unusual dreams. Diedre was stuck wherever Brand sent her with no way out. Avalon, though reluctant to incur her teacher’s wrath, releases her, and she goes to find Brand. Flora is still near Chaos, and warns Avalon that Eric may make another bid for the throne soon. Neither woman has had any unusual dreams.
The trio in Amber city spot Julian, Vialle, and Random in a restaurant. Drell wanders off towards the docks, forcing Audney to go find him before Caine or someone else does. While her hands are full, Molly Rose enters the restaurant and begins speaking with the three Amberites. Audney returns with her younger brother and joins the conversation as well. Random explains how to shadow walk to Molly Rose before the three elders excuse themselves.
Audney takes Molly Rose to find some clothing suitable to their location. Molly Rose is a bit overwhelmed by the idea of wearing pants… “*squeal* Ooh, I feel so decadent!”
Audney gets an idea that the great seal and Charon might have something to do with all the fuss, so the trio walks to the seal to check on it. They are stopped by the black dragoon, who assures them the seal is just fine. They continue their search for Llewella, finally encountering her in Romerica with Fiona and Bleys.
Avalon trumps Amanda, asking her if she too has had the strange nightmare. Amanda has had no nightmares, only a sense of danger. Amanda fears Caine will try for the throne, and asks Avalon to watch over Molly Rose, to keep her out of danger. Avalon promises to try, then goes to the Abyss to speak with Morgan. He finally comes out so she can apologize. He tells her of his fears that Brand is going to try for the throne, and that he might ask for Avalon’s support.
Audney decides to take Molly Rose to meet Corwin, but they find him in the middle of a battle with Eric and decide not to interrupt. They start walking to Flora. Avalon, who had been trump spying on Audney, chooses to contact her and ask to speak with the group in a neutral shadow. They decide on Dominaria, as it will allow Molly Rose to meet Franklin.
The group arrives in Dominaria to find it in ruins. Black mana alone runs rampant through the earth. Franklin shows Molly Rose and Drell around the tower while Avalon and Audney try to talk. The conversation quickly degenerates into an argument, and Audney storms out of the tower. She doesn’t get more than 200 yards before the ground itself begins to attack her. Franklin finds out from Avalon that Audney has gone outside; they go out in an ornithopter and rescue her. The black stuff covering the ground turns out to be Abyss, and they burn it out of her veins with trump contacts. Franklin wants the group to help him locate the remains of Urza, though he is the only person in existence that remembers him. Avalon and Audney agree to help. Avalon apologizes to Molly Rose for her previous treatment of her, which Molly Rose seems to accept. The group decides to stay the night in Franklin’s tower, after which Audney wishes to try and find Blaine and get him away from Caine’s influence.