Gabriel woke from blood-tinged nightmares in a cold cave where he and Dior had taken shelter after the massacre at San Guillaume. Hearing his name whispered outside, he carefully covered Dior with his greatcoat and stepped into the frozen dawn above the River Volta. On the far shore, he saw Astrid Rennier standing among snow-clad trees, addressing him intimately mind-to-mind and calling him “my lion,” while Gabriel replied “my life,” reaffirming their love.

As the blood-red dawn stained the horizon, Astrid wept blood and asked Gabriel to promise he would never leave her. Dior called from within the cave, and Astrid warned Gabriel that if she could find him, Danton could as well. Torn between longing and duty, Gabriel chose to return to Dior rather than attempt to cross back toward Astrid, who faded away into the trees like a ghost.

Back inside, Dior, wrapped in Gabriel’s greatcoat, checked on him and noticed his haggard state. Gabriel admitted he was thirsty and deflected when Dior mentioned he had been talking in his sleep. He urged that they start moving toward Redwatch and mentioned his need to find something to smoke, which soured Dior’s concern into criticism.

Gabriel clarified that his dependence was not recreational: as a paleblood, he required chymicals from his foundry to keep the “beast” in check, otherwise it would take its due from him. Dior pointed out that Gabriel’s foundry supplies had been lost with their saddlebags. She suggested returning to San Guillaume to retrieve Jezebel, but Gabriel refused, calling it too dangerous and noting that Jezebel had bolted during the battle.

Gabriel resolved to seek the Night Market at Redwatch, where he believed he could find what he needed from people who dealt in dark places. As the craving burn spread under his skin and he caught himself eyeing Dior’s throat, he seized his blade Ashdrinker and insisted they move out immediately.