The Shadow
- Mortola lifts the copy of Inkheart out of the casket with the snakes in it. While giving it to Meggie, she tells her that should Meggie fail to carry out Capricorn's orders, Mortola will have Fenoglio's throat slit. No pressure, though.
- Before Meggie begins reading, she hears a sound like a clock—and she realizes that Mo is there, using the noise that scares Captain Hook in Peter Pan to send her a signal. Meggie announces loudly that absolutely no one is to stop her once she begins reading, and she hopes that he gets the message.
- Fenoglio makes a commotion so that Meggie can slip the piece of paper into the book. He's caught and subdued.
- She begins to read the description of the Shadow in the book. But then she transitions to what Fenoglio wrote on the paper: that the Shadow hears the voice of a girl, which reminds him of how he originated in suffering and cruelty, and wants revenge on his maker.
- Mortola realizes that something is wrong, but Darius grabs her and won't let her go.
- The Shadow begins to manifest, and it stares at Meggie with terrible eyes that are red like embers; Capricorn shouts that someone needs to stop her, but nobody moves. The Shadow advances on Capricorn, but Meggie can't force herself to keep reading.
- Then Mo steps up and finishes the last few sentences, narrating that the Shadow kills Capricorn, and then becomes ashes and blows away in the wind.