Alone after their argument, Gideon turns over Alex’s ring and wrestles with Rune’s confession that she would have married him. He tries to rebuild his reasons for mistrusting her, revisiting her hidden identity, her engagement to Alex, and her apparent role in Cressida’s rise. One by one, those accusations weaken in his mind, but Gideon still concludes that Rune may support Cressida because a restored witch regime would protect witches like Rune.

Because Gideon fears that loving Rune made him vulnerable once before, Gideon forces himself to adopt a harder view. He decides that whether Rune loves him or lies to him, Gideon still needs Rune as leverage against Cressida. Gideon resolves to treat Rune as a necessary hostage and not let his feelings interfere with his larger goal of stopping Cressida’s return to power.

When Gideon returns to the shipboard party, Gideon immediately notices Rune in the crowd and then realizes her illusion spell is fading: her eyes and hair are shifting back to their true appearance. Knowing the ship’s officers have been showing passengers Rune’s likeness, Gideon rushes to Rune and tries to get her out of sight. Before they can escape, the same officers enter the room and begin to spread out, leaving Gideon only moments to prevent Rune from being recognized.

To protect both Rune and himself, Gideon abruptly kisses Rune and uses the performance of intimacy to make them look like harmless newlyweds rather than a fugitive witch and her captor. What begins as a cover becomes intensely real as Rune responds and Gideon guides her through the crowd into a dark corner where she can hide and recast the spell. Instead of pulling away, Gideon gives in to the kiss and to his longing for Rune, until sudden, agonizing pain erupts from Gideon’s scar and Cressida’s voice echoes in his mind, reminding Gideon that Cressida still has a powerful hold over him.