Incarceron

Claudia speaks to Jared after reading Bartlett’s testimony. She agrees that Giles is not dead but imprisoned. She believes that Finn is Giles because his voice sounds familiar and speculates that her father or someone working with him must have killed Bartlett. Finn speaks to Claudia through the key, and they figure out how to video chat. Finn claims that he found the key in an abandoned area rather than telling Claudia the truth about Maestra’s ransom and murder. Attia, Keiro, and Gildas show up and see Finn talking to others through the key. However, Claudia and Jared disappear before the others can speak to them. Gildas assumes that Finn was talking to Sapphique. Finn goes along with this, claiming that Sapphique warned him about danger from above. Just then, giant nets descend, trapping Finn and Gildas. Keiro gives Finn one of Jormanric’s magical life rings and takes the key so that whoever controls the net trap will not take it away. Keiro and Attia flee, promising to rescue Finn later.

Claudia suggests that a DNA test could reveal whether Finn is Giles, but Jared points out that these are illegal. Even if Finn is not Giles, Giles is likely in Incarceron, based on Bartlett’s claim. If Giles is still alive, Caspar isn’t the true heir, and Claudia wants to reveal this so that she can prevent Caspar from taking the throne. However, she doesn’t know how. Late that night, Caspar’s bodyguard, Fax, spots Claudia leaving Jared’s room.

Finn and Gildas’s captors drag them into the nearby city. The men found sheep meat amongst their belongings and have concluded that Finn and Gildas are thieves. The men insist on bringing them to the city’s justices, where they will likely receive violent punishment. The city has extensive defenses in place; crowds continue to pour inside as if they’re afraid of being attacked after nightfall. Images of Sapphique are everywhere. Gildas doubts that Keiro will save them but thinks he can convince the justices to let them go by appealing to his status as a Sapient.

The men lead Finn and Gildas to the justices, who decide to offer Finn to a nearby monster that requires a monthly human sacrifice. They don’t care that Gildas is a Sapient or that Keiro is the one who killed the sheep. Meanwhile, Attia and Keiro hide in a wagon and enter the city. Their presence triggers an alarm, but Keiro overcomes the nearby guard and disables the alarm.

Claudia and company are still journeying toward Sia and Caspar’s palace. The Warden decides that it is time to tell Claudia about her mother.

The Warden met Claudia’s mother, Helena, at court. Their marriage wasn’t arranged, and he loved her dearly. She became pregnant, to the Warden’s delight, but she died in childbirth. The Warden found it upsetting to look at her portraits, so he got rid of them all, except for a small one inside a locket, which he now shows to Claudia. He says that Helena would be proud of Claudia’s approaching wedding day. However, Claudia still wants to escape.

Attia and Keiro bicker over whether Keiro is honorable enough to keep his promise to save Finn. They also fight over the key until it lights up and Claudia appears, asking who they are and where Finn is.

Gildas plans to accompany Finn to the cave where the monster lives. According to legend, Sapphique faced this same monster when he took the place of a girl who was selected as a human sacrifice. Sapphique entered the cave and emerged after three days with a missing finger. Finn speaks directly to Incarceron and declares that he will escape it, but the prison replies that it is everywhere and is therefore inescapable.

Keiro and Attia try to explain to Claudia that Finn is now in a prison within the larger prison of Incarceron. Claudia doesn’t trust Keiro even though he explains that he is Finn’s oathbrother. Claudia offers to find a map that will guide them out of Incarceron, but only if they save Finn, whom she believes is really Giles. She explains that she knew Giles Outside, years ago. Claudia then severs the connection because Alys arrives.

Caspar thinks that Claudia is having an affair with Jared; he doesn’t care about this but warns her to be more discreet because Sia would be angry about such infidelity and might kill Jared. Caspar leaves, and Claudia and Jared confront Evian about his plan to assassinate Sia; Jared says this plan is ridiculous and likely to fail. Evian argues that the regime is oppressive and must be stopped. Claudia asserts that she might soon find information to help Evian, but not yet.

Guards lead Finn and Gildas toward the monster’s cave. Finn wonders if Keiro will attempt to save him, or if he just took the key and fled.

Jared points out that the map of Incarceron that Claudia said she could find for Keiro and Attia does not exist. She knows this, but she had to say something to get them to reconnect her with Finn. Also, Claudia is not interested in helping Evian assassinate Sia, but she hopes to dethrone the queen by exposing her crime of imprisoning Giles/Finn and faking his death. Meanwhile, their carriages approach Queen Sia’s palace.

The guards give Finn a sword. Finn and Gildas enter the cave, but the guards do not accompany them. They don’t see the monster yet. After a few minutes, Finn suggests that they leave, but Gildas believes that they must take the same journey that Sapphique did, which includes facing the monster. They finally spot the beast, which is so massive that even its eye is larger than Finn.

Crowds near Sia’s palace greet Claudia, Caspar, and the rest of the company. Claudia is terrified. Jared says she’ll make a good ruler and promises not to abandon her even if others try to force him away. Jared takes the key to study its mysteries privately, and the Warden leads Claudia toward Sia.

Finn realizes that the monster is made up of countless smaller objects, including weapons, as if it absorbs whatever it encounters to grow stronger. Finn doesn’t stab the monster because it would just absorb the sword. When Gildas takes the sword and stabs the monster, he realizes that Finn was right. The monster knows Finn’s name and has been watching and expecting him; it seems to be an embodiment of Incarceron. The monster claims that no prison or system can remove evil from humanity, so its task is to contain prisoners, not correct them. The monster demands payment in flesh or blood, such as the finger that Sapphique gave him. Finn gives the monster his ring, which contains the life of whoever Jormanric killed.

Lord Calliston is the one who created the key that Finn now has, which is a replica of the key on the Outside.

Sia has many non-Era objects: a privilege of being the queen. She shows Claudia to her room and warns her that listening devices have been placed throughout the palace. Sia knows that Caspar will not be an effective ruler and is barely able to take care of himself. She knows that Claudia will be the one to rule the kingdom and wants to work with Claudia. She also wants Jared to leave, but Claudia insists he stay, so Sia agrees.

Jared removes some listening devices from his room, then speaks to Keiro and Attia with the key. He tells them how to use the key to become invisible to Incarceron. He asks if they have found Finn yet, but they cut off communication without answering. Jared’s illness has been worsening, and he takes his medicine.

The monster is doubtful that the ring is adequate payment, but suddenly, it can no longer see Finn and Gildas; Keiro and Attia have arrived and use the key to make them all invisible. Keiro scorches the monster with a flamethrower, and the group climbs upward, with the monster still trying to pursue them. The key gets warm, and Finn puts it into the cave’s wall, which makes the wall unzip.

An alarm goes off on the Warden’s watch, and he tells Claudia that he must attend to prison business. She follows him at a distance. He goes to the cellar beneath the castle and uses a combination to enter a gate with an eagle on it. Claudia believes that this is the entrance to Incarceron.

The monster dissolves into fragments. The group is still trying to climb out of the cave, and they’re about to fall. Suddenly, a flying ship appears and drops a hanging basket. Someone tells them to get in, so they do, and they fly to a Sapienti tower.