In the palace courtyard, a deadly silence falls as Laila places the purging knife into Rune Winters’s hands. Rune is surrounded by Blood Guard soldiers, Commander Nicolas Creed, and a crowd of patriots, and she knows refusing to kill Seraphine would expose her as a witch and as the Crimson Moth.

As musicians begin to play, Rune considers desperate options: casting a spell with a blood vial or cutting her own finger with the knife to draw quick spellmarks, even though the resulting scar would mark her. Seraphine, filthy from imprisonment and furious, spits at Rune and taunts her with Kestrel’s name, insisting Rune disgraces the Winters family.

When Laila pulls the lever, the chains yank Seraphine upside down and hoist her toward the sky. Rune steels herself to cut her finger and create a distraction—an illusion of fire—before anyone can stop her.

Before Rune draws blood, smoke suddenly floods the courtyard and people scream “Fire!” A column of black, spell-like flame rises and surges toward the purging platform, and Rune realizes it is not her magic. The spellfire snakes directly at Rune, choking her with smoke and heat as she tries to reach Seraphine.

Dark flames whip between them and Seraphine vanishes from view, leaving Rune alone inside a burning ring. The spellfire tightens around Rune as if commanded, closing in with the intent to burn her alive.