Kai and Kitt sit drunk in the grass during the ball, joking as they watch Jax repeatedly step on Andy’s toes while dancing. Their easy banter shows a rare moment of brotherly comfort, but the mood shifts when Kitt notices their parents dancing and remarks that the king seems happier than he has in years. Kai quietly reflects that their father gives warmth to the queen that he has never given to his sons, which deepens Kai’s bitterness.

Kitt then asks about Kai’s recent missions against the Resistance. Kai admits he killed the captured Silencer without getting any useful information, then reveals that the supposed Ordinary near Loot was only a child. When Kitt presses him, Kai confirms that he did not kill the girl. This leads Kai to remember one of his earliest missions, when he was forced to kill a child and vowed never to do that again; since then, he has secretly spared Ordinary children when he can, even though he knows he is still sending them toward likely death.

The conversation turns more personal when Kitt notices the stain on Kai’s shirt and asks what happened. Kai answers that Paedyn is responsible, and Kitt, though awkwardly, admits that Paedyn fascinates him. Kitt says Paedyn is the only person who speaks honestly to him and challenges him instead of flattering him, and he confesses that he already wants to know her for far longer. Kai grows tense and jealous but hides it behind jokes and refuses to explain his own feelings.

Privately, Kai admits to himself that Paedyn occupies his thoughts constantly, and even the scent of lavender on his shirt reminds him how strongly she affects him. His refusal to answer Kitt honestly shows both the depth of his feelings and the danger of them, since both brothers are being drawn toward the same girl. The scene sharpens the emotional conflict between brotherly loyalty and romantic jealousy.

The moment is interrupted when the crowd begins moving toward the training grounds. There, Kai sees a torchlit dirt ring and raised seating platforms, and Tealah gleefully announces that the guests will be treated to a brawl as well as a ball. Kai is caught off guard, already dizzy from alcohol and the crush of surrounding powers, and before he goes to join the other contestants, Kitt stops him to offer a quiet farewell in case they do not meet before Kai’s Trial. Kitt tells him to be careful and not die, ending the chapter with affection, foreboding, and the threat of fresh combat just before the next day’s danger.