The protagonist and their associate are approached by a fox-masked merchant who claims they've been cheated of their money. This character is revealed to be Larkin, a prior acquaintance of the protagonist.
The protagonist, having successfully won a bet and received a "nice little bonus," offers Larkin a peace offering in the form of a money-filled purse.
Larkin is willing to work with the protagonist and be obedient to him, hinting at a past shared history of chaos and struggles of power.
On a late night walk, the protagonist and their associate stumble upon the sight of a brutal assault and subsequent death. They discover the attacker was a Starveling, and discuss the prejudices and fears surrounding Struck, humans marked by magic.
The protagonist recalls a strange occurrence at a bar. Mirel, the siren they'd met before, did not recognize them and acted flirtatious, having been seemingly spelled to forget their previous encounter. The protagonist had disguised as a dragon when they first met Mirel.
A few nights later, the protagonist and Larkin meet the Marricks, a group of thieves, for a business meeting. Larkin dresses lavishly, exerting authority and power through her appearance, much to the protagonist's disregard with mockery and nonchalance.
Inside their impressive abode, Wren, a member of the Marricks, presents the protagonist with an uncanny, intricate model of a dragon claw. They debate the use of real versus imitation jewels for the model, concluding to use the imitation unless the buyer is strongly aligned with Piater magic.
The protagonist is disturbed, realizing the original dragon claw must have belonged to a now-deceased dragon. This fuels the protagonist's resentment towards humans who killed dragons for treasures, and heightened their desire not to trust them.