Nearly a week after the first Trial, Kai throws himself into training and violence to stay in control. Kai is still haunted by stabbing Jax and is furious at Ace, so he keeps busy sparring and attacking practice dummies instead of lashing out at people. He also spends hours with Damion trying to learn both how to use and how to defend against the Silencer ability his father took, because Micah’s ambush left Kai determined never to feel helpless again.

While training, Kai notices Paedyn laughing with Kitt and feels sharp jealousy as he watches how comfortable Paedyn has become around the prince. After Kitt leaves, Paedyn approaches Kai and asks for a rematch, but instead of hand-to-hand combat she proposes archery. Kai agrees, partly because he wants the distraction, and their banter quickly becomes flirtatious as they set the rules and begin shooting.

Paedyn immediately proves she is the stronger archer, repeatedly hitting the bullseye while Kai struggles to match her. Kai notices that Paedyn is shooting left-handed and later learns that her father trained her to shoot with both hands; after her Trial injury, Paedyn chose to practice more with her left. Realizing he is likely to lose, Kai deliberately steps in behind Paedyn during her final round and distracts her with close physical contact, touching her waist, stomach, and arm while whispering in her ear. The tactic works at first, making Paedyn miss badly, but after an annoyed elbow to Kai’s stomach she regains control and still lands a final bullseye.

When Kai takes his last turn, Paedyn retaliates by distracting him with the lightest touches along his arm. Kai discovers that even minimal contact from Paedyn unsettles him more than expected, and he can barely focus on the target. Overwhelmed, Kai drops the game and pulls Paedyn closer, asking her not to toy with him like that. Paedyn leaves her hand on his arm, both of them shaken by the intensity between them, and then points out the result: Kai has lost. The match confirms both Paedyn’s skill and the dangerous depth of Kai’s growing desire for her.