Bryce settles in for the evening at her apartment, but her chimera Syrinx keeps pawing at the window. When she investigates, she discovers Hunt Athalar stationed on the rooftop across the street, watching her under Micah's "protection duty" orders. Bryce suspects this is really surveillance rather than protection and shuts the curtains on him. Hunt calls her, and they argue over boundaries, with Hunt insisting he has no choice but to follow orders. He demands she open the curtains so he can watch her show, and she refuses. When she texts him to leave, he flies to her window and confronts her directly, ordering her to make a suspect list and a timeline of Danika's movements. Bryce deflects with sarcasm and shuts the window in his face.

The next morning, Hunt calls Isaiah to vent about his miserable night of surveillance. He recounts how Syrinx teleported to the roof and bit him, and how Bryce blasted music and ignored him. She then left for a run and spent an hour at a nail salon while Hunt waited in the rain outside. Hunt is deeply frustrated that Bryce seems to be prioritizing trivial errands over solving the murders, and he remains suspicious that she may be hiding something given her connections to all the victims. Isaiah is amused and tells Hunt that the feared Umbra Mortis should be able to handle a party girl.

After the salon, Bryce and Hunt walk back to her apartment, exchanging barbs. Hunt tries to pressure her into working on the investigation, even implying she could be accused of hindering an official case. Bryce is unfazed and heads inside. At the gallery library beneath Jesiba Roga's shop, Bryce works on client paperwork in the underground space guarded by Lehabah, a fire sprite enslaved under the Asteri's decree that punished all sprites for joining the angels' rebellion two hundred years ago. Lehabah begs Bryce to let Hunt inside and lobbies for her own freedom, but Bryce explains neither is simple.

The chapter reveals details about the gallery's enchanted library, which houses dangerous sentient books that Lehabah keeps in line, as well as tanks of small animals that may be people transformed by Jesiba. Jesiba calls to confirm a client is coming at two and orders Bryce to keep Lehabah focused. Bryce mentally prepares for something she has planned for that evening—something she expects will infuriate Hunt but that she's determined to do, even if survival isn't guaranteed.