Nimona

Blackheart and Nimona’s relationship becomes tenser. She tells him that the Institution has taken back control of the uprising, and two of Blackheart’s poisoned victims have died. Blackheart is distraught and wants to give up his plans to protect the civilians, despite Nimona’s attempt to convince him to keep fighting. Blackheart then steers the conversation toward what happened during the battle, and Nimona gets defensive. He realizes that she made up the story about the witch who gave her shapeshifting powers. When she aggressively reminds him that she has only ever tried to help him, he grows weary of her intentions. He instantly regrets reaching for a weapon to defend himself, but Nimona leaves and tells Blackheart not to wait up.

Later, Blackheart is shown going about his day on his own. He attempts to reach Nimona, who will not answer his video calls. He eventually picks up Dr. Blitzmeyer’s business card. He calls her for insights on shapeshifters, framing his questions only as hypotheticals. Dr. Blitzmeyer reminisces about the legend of Gloreth, a knight who slew a legendary creature who was said to be able to change shape at will. Some surmise that the creature was incredibly powerful and may have survived or even killed Gloreth and taken her place. Blackheart is unsure whether this has anything to do with Nimona. He considers that she may have been a lab-engineered experiment.

Blackheart infiltrates the Institution’s quarantine facilities to give the antidote to his poisoning victims, but he is arrested by guards. He wakes up in a cell guarded by Goldenloin, who has been demoted. They start reminiscing about their shared past, and Blackheart brings up the joust incident. Goldenloin finally admits that it was no accident, confessing that the Director gave him a weaponized lance to ensure his victory. The Director wanted him to become the Institution’s champion. Goldenloin had no intention of harming Blackheart and discharged the weapon by mistake. He apologizes to Blackheart right before an alarm sounds. The guards do not give Goldenloin any information when he calls them to ask what it is about.

Shortly after, guards lead Blackheart and Goldenloin to the Institution’s lab, where the Director shows them a tank holding Nimona. She is trying to escape, but the Director explains that the tank is made from jaderoot, “the most destructive substance known to man” (191). The Director orders guards to take a blood sample from Nimona, keeping her subdued by threatening Blackheart. The Director excitedly describes her plans to experiment on Nimona and weaponize her abilities, but Nimona keeps resisting and claims that they have no idea who she really is. Goldenloin tries to intervene, claiming that the Director’s methods are cruel and inhumane, when Nimona’s smile suddenly turns feral. To everyone’s shock, her blood sample, which is now out of the tank, grows into a dark, fiery dragon who starts wreaking havoc in the lab. The Director orders the evacuation of the facilities, which are beginning to catch fire and explode.

Goldenloin helps Blackheart escape the room. They watch the dragon break out of the Institution, now engulfed in flames, and fly toward the city. Blackheart realizes that part of Nimona is still in the tank and might be the only one able to stop the dragon, so he refuses to let Goldenloin kill her. Instead, Blackheart tells his former nemesis to help evacuate the city while he finds Dr. Blitzmeyer’s power-dampening device. The last page in the chapter illustrates the chaos in the city and shows the news reporting the king’s death.