Raeve wakes inside a Sabersythe’s mouth, surrounded by heat, saliva, and the beat of its wings. Convinced the beast is carrying her all the way to Gondragh to be fed to its young, Raeve braces for a horrible death. When the dragon suddenly drops and the fire in its throat nearly swallows her, Raeve fights panic by singing to herself and forcing her mind away from the terror.

Instead of being delivered to a nest, Raeve is spat out onto hot sand in the Boltanic Plains. She discovers the dragon has brought her to Kaan Vaegor, the Burn King, who says he saved her from Gore rather than letting the Guild of Nobles keep hunting her clan. Raeve immediately threatens to kill Kaan, but Kaan points out that she is wounded, weaponless, dehydrated, and stranded in a deadly wasteland beside his dragon, Rygun.

Kaan notices that Raeve’s shoulder wound is infected and brutally proves it by checking it himself, causing Raeve intense pain and more fury. He asks to extend the white-flag truce, and although Raeve refuses to promise good behavior, Kaan cuts her free from the stake. He gives Raeve his cloak to protect her from the sun, snaps off her ankle chains, and removes the remaining chain from her shackles, but he keeps her wrists bound with rope. Their exchange stays openly hostile, yet the scene also reveals a sharp physical and emotional tension between them.

Kaan then lifts Raeve onto his shoulder and carries her toward Rygun despite her protests. While climbing into the dragon’s saddle, Kaan reacts strongly when Raeve says his name, and their banter grows even more charged as he forces her to choose a riding position before takeoff. After Raeve settles in front of him, Kaan makes clear that she is not being released: he is taking her with him to Dhomm, the Burn’s capital.

When Rygun launches into the sky, Raeve is terrified at first and clings to the saddle strap while pressed against Kaan. But once the flight steadies, fear gives way to a surprising rush of exhilaration and relief. Though she remains Kaan’s prisoner, Raeve admits quietly that she is okay, ending the chapter with her fate redirected away from execution and toward Dhomm.