Noah has Gideon chained and mocks him for loving Rune. As the soldiers lock the manacles, Gideon realizes Noah's hatred of Rune is personal as well as political: Noah wanted her and resents that she loved Gideon instead. Gideon argues that love is what truly threatens tyrants like Noah and Cressida because it cannot be controlled, and Noah reveals he plans to trade Gideon to Cressida in exchange for the prisoners she is set to execute.

As Felix and another soldier drag Gideon away, Felix secretly slips him the key to his manacles. Gideon quietly unlocks himself in the darkness, drops the chains, seizes a soldier's gun, and runs. He catches Noah on the stairs and beats him down, but instead of finishing him, Gideon focuses on reaching Rune before she is killed.

Outside, Gideon finds Rune on her knees with Laila about to shoot her. Gideon shouts, causing Laila's first shot to miss. Laila then turns her guns on Gideon, furious, but after hearing the soldiers closing in, she chooses not to kill Rune and gives them fifteen seconds to run, telling Gideon he now owes her even more.

Gideon and Rune flee through the gardens and over a gate into the meadow while soldiers open fire behind them. Because Rune's hands are tied, she cannot cast and struggles to keep up. When she stumbles, Gideon helps her and is shot in the shoulder; when she falters again, he is shot in the hip and carries her toward the woods, shielding her with his own body as they escape the open ground.

Once under the trees, Gideon pushes deeper into the forest, but blood loss quickly weakens him. Realizing he may not stay conscious, he tells Rune they should split up so she has a better chance of avoiding recapture. Rune refuses to accept that he might not survive, but before Gideon can say more, his strength gives out and he collapses as she cries his name.