Nesta’s kiss immediately escalates into a fierce physical encounter with Cassian in the hallway. Once Cassian presses her against the wall, both of them abandon restraint, and Nesta gives herself over to the distraction because she wants relief from the painful thoughts and memories that keep hounding her. Their attraction turns urgent and mutual as they kiss, touch, and push each other toward losing control.

Nesta reaches for Cassian through his clothes, driven by desire and curiosity, and Cassian quickly unravels under her touch. When Nesta keeps stroking him and bites his neck, Cassian climaxes in his pants before they go any further. His stunned, shaken reaction makes Nesta assume he regrets what happened, so she cuts him off before he can say anything and leaves with a cruel remark about how quickly he finished.

The next morning, Cassian is humiliated and cannot stop replaying the encounter. He knows he lost control the moment Nesta kissed him, and he is especially upset because he found release while Nesta did not. Although Cassian knows Nesta wanted him too, her mocking parting shot makes him doubt what the moment meant to her, and he resolves to somehow make things even and recover his pride.

At breakfast, Azriel notices Cassian’s state and dryly teases him. Azriel has returned from investigating Briallyn, but he refuses to explain his findings yet and says everyone will hear the news together at the river house. He tells Cassian that both Cassian and Nesta are required there by Rhys, and when Cassian asks if it concerns Nesta’s fight with Elain, Azriel says no, making clear that the real issue is his troubling discovery about Briallyn.