Nesta tries to escape the House of Wind by taking the stairway down the mountain, reasoning that the kitchens and wine cellar will be locked but the stairs will not. She quickly discovers that the ten thousand spiraling steps are far beyond what her untrained body can manage. After reaching only one hundred and eleven steps, dizziness, nausea, and the memory of her father’s murder overwhelm her, and Nesta is forced to turn back and crawl to the top.

Cassian is waiting when Nesta reaches the landing. Earlier, after returning from the human lands, Cassian had briefed Rhysand and the others about Briallyn, Koschei, Beron, and Eris, and Rhysand had ordered Cassian to keep in contact with Eris while Azriel prepared to investigate Briallyn. After finding the stairwell door open, Cassian realizes Nesta has tried to leave. He helps her up, mocks how few steps she managed, and turns the humiliation into another challenge by telling Nesta to come to training if she is tired of being weak.

The next morning, Nesta is so sore from the stairs that she struggles to move, yet she leaves her room early so Cassian will not see her limp into breakfast. Cassian immediately notices anyway, and Azriel joins them. Their conversation shifts from sharp teasing to open provocation when Nesta says she wants Azriel to train her instead, and Cassian needles her about failing on the stairs. Nesta answers with sexual innuendo, Cassian responds in kind, and the exchange leaves both of them affected while Azriel silently observes the tension.

After breakfast, Azriel warns Cassian that he is in dangerous territory with Nesta before leaving to begin spying on Briallyn. Cassian and Nesta go to Windhaven, where Nesta again refuses to enter the sparring ring and sits on a rock in the cold. Cassian trains alone for an hour, partly to keep his focus and partly to force her to feel the consequences of inaction, but Nesta stubbornly remains outside despite the freezing wind.

When Cassian finishes, he sends Nesta into Rhysand’s mother’s old house to warm herself while he attends to other duties. Inside, Cassian is reminded of how deeply the house is tied to his own past, but his attention shifts when he notices Nesta staring into the fire with visible fear rather than simple distraction. Realizing that the flames have triggered something traumatic in her, Cassian tries to redirect her by suggesting she visit the village shops, then leaves in silence when Nesta gives no answer.