Iris drafted a letter to Carver but, after acknowledging his absence, redirected it to herself as a pep talk, urging herself to write what she needed to read and to keep going despite fear. This introspection followed months of compulsive letter writing and grief over her mother.

That day, Marisol needed to work in the infirmary kitchen, so Iris and Attie volunteered to plant the garden. Kneeling in the soil calmed Iris, giving her a sense of release and renewal as they sowed seeds.

A siren suddenly sounded, signaling eithrals approaching Avalon Bluff. Iris and Attie hurried inside to darken the windows per Marisol’s instructions. While closing curtains upstairs, Iris spotted a lone figure striding through a nearby field, ignoring the alarm.

Using Attie’s binoculars, Iris recognized a tall man in a gray jumpsuit with a war correspondent’s badge, carrying a typewriter case and a leather bag. Focusing on his face, she realized it was Roman Kitt. Fearing a bomb might strike because of his movement, she bolted from the house despite Attie calling after her.

Iris sprinted across the gardens and into the field toward Roman. As the siren fell silent, she met him at a run and, just before they collided, saw fear and confusion in his expression. She used her momentum to knock him down and ordered him not to move or speak as the eithrals circled overhead.

They lay pressed together in the grass while the air chilled and shadows from the eithrals’ wings passed over them. Iris focused on staying still and quiet, noting Roman’s breathing and scent while wrestling with a surge of attraction and guilt as she thought of Carver.

When the eithrals finally retreated and warmth returned, Iris shifted off Roman and pain from holding still underscored her anger. She demanded to know what he was doing there and accused him of recklessness that nearly got them both killed. Roman, hands at her hips, responded lightly that it was good to see her too, ending the scene with tension unresolved.