Quentin's locked in a cage. Professor Lipson says he will die if he doesn't box up Alice. He refuses. Penny and Kady steal his button and go to Fillory to rescue Julia from the dungeon. They've figured out Reynard's son is U.S. Senator John Gaines. The three go to his office, and show him magic is real. Julia wants to kill him and take his energy. Penny thinks she's crazy, but Kady continues to defend her friend. They take him to Brakebills.

Julia has a conversation with Alice while she's in possession of Quentin. Alice tells her she can help her. Reynard begins talking to his son through a psychic link. He saw the magicians kidnapping him on TV and figured out who he was. The brownouts in Fillory are affecting Brakebills as well. Reynard waits for the wards to drop. Kady tries to help the senator see that he's benefited from his power all his life without knowing it.

Reynard breaches the wards. Julia locks Quentin up with him to try and force him to let Alice out. Alice says she can kill the senator. Quentin refuses. Penny attempts to rescue him, but Reynard freezes both of them. He's prepared to kill them, but John arrives, and stops his father. The two disappear. Kady locks Julia up in a clean room so she can't access her magic. She can't make excuses for her after what she did to Quentin. 

Unable to take it any longer, Quentin tells Alice that he hopes she's telling the truth about not wanting to hurt anyone. He smashes the Niffin box, and sets her free from his body. Alice takes off into the sky as pure magical energy.

In Fillory, Eliot prepares to duel the King of Loria. Margo sets up a magical song and dance number as they prepare for battle. Fen gives Eliot a magical sword. When another brownout strikes in the middle of the duel, Margo turns to the fairies for help to save Eliot. They want his baby in exchange for fixing the wellspring. Margo reluctantly agrees to the deal, but doesn't tell Fen or Eliot the truth. 

When Eliot arrives victorious, he stuns Margo by announcing he's going to marry the king of Loria, and give him a 50/50 share of the wellspring.