Rune wakes on Verity’s floor with a pounding headache after collapsing while attempting a picklock spell. Verity and Alex help her onto the bed and explain that Rune fainted from overexertion: Rune’s magic is too strong for the “conductor” and the old blood she has been using, causing spells to short-circuit.

Seeing that most of her spilled vial has soaked into the floorboards, Rune panics at the waste because she has only one full vial left until her next cycle. Verity stresses that many complex spells are unsafe or impossible without fresh blood, and Rune admits she cannot cut herself for it because fresh self-blood would leave silver casting scars that could get her identified and purged.

Verity suggests another option: Rune could use someone else’s fresh blood, with permission, to power stronger spellcraft. Alex immediately offers his blood, but Rune refuses because it would leave Alex with visible casting scars and put him in danger. Their conversation breaks when they hear voices in the hall; Verity cleans the bloody spellmark off the door and the spilled blood from the floor to protect herself and Rune.

While they work, Alex finds Rune’s spell book open to “Picklock and Deadbolt,” and Rune explains it is a backup plan to rescue Seraphine if time runs out. Rune reveals she once saw a palace prison map in Warden Creed’s office and plans to attend the Creeds’ masked ball to trace the map rather than steal it and raise alarms. Alex agrees to cover for Rune at the ball on the condition that Rune lie low afterward; Rune resists until Alex adds that he is leaving for Caelis for a month to pursue finishing his studies and may buy a house there, asking Rune to come with him. They bargain down to Rune agreeing to go with Alex for two weeks after Seraphine is safe.

Back at Wintersea House, Rune receives a telegram from Gideon Sharpe apologizing for moving too quickly and claiming he may have a solution to Rune’s “predicament” regarding the Luminaries dinner. Despite Verity’s warnings and her own strict rules about intimacy, Rune replies that she is intrigued. Gideon responds with a meeting time and address for the next morning, adding, “I promise to go slow this time.”