After sunset, Wren visits Cross Redden’s quarters. She confesses that her parents were Uprising operatives who sent her away at age five; Jim smuggled her out, raised her in the Blacklands for years, and later in ward Z as ranchers. She clarifies that references to her “father” were to Jim, and that she joined the Uprising only after his execution. She reveals she asked Ellis to heal her burn scars, which exposed that her bloodmark remains. Wren then discloses she has four abilities: projection (which she demonstrates), incitement (uncontrolled), telepathy limited by Cross’s shield, and an implied additional power beyond those. She admits she incited at Julian’s execution unintentionally and that her power has surfaced before under stress.

Wren explains Jim burned off her bloodmark when she was seven to protect her from both Silver and the Uprising, and that only Cross and now Ellis know. Cross becomes angry that she exposed herself by removing the scars, arguing it stripped a layer of protection. Wren says she wanted to prove trust and show her true self. Their argument gives way to intimacy; they have sex and afterward Cross apologizes for lashing out after the depot ambush, saying his anger was at himself for leading the team into a trap. He confesses he has loved her since childhood and is terrified of losing her. Wren says she loves him too.

Later in bed, Wren asks about Cross’s tattoos; he says wings mean freedom, fire means destruction, and the text are lessons and moments. Wren then warns that the Uprising has a plan for the Silver Jubilee but she does not know details and believes they avoid harming civilians; Cross counters with the depot deaths, and Wren argues large-scale civilian targeting is the General’s pattern, not the Uprising’s. When asked if General Redden is the target, Cross says he does not know if he would care.

Time shifts to base life without Kaine, where Wren and Lyddie grieve. Lyddie asks about tension between Captain Redden and Colonel Travis Redden, reporting overheard talk in Intelligence that Travis thinks Elite has grown complacent and is assembling a shortlist of high-ranking officers—possibly to replace Cross. Wren secretly warns Cross telepathically; he replies that their father would not approve a replacement he does not trust, and they share a private, intimate mental rapport.

On the eve of the Jubilee, Adrienne contacts Wren with a simple objective that reassures Wren civilians are not the target. Wren retrieves a sleek Silver-branded pack left for her in a tunnel near the vehicle pool, then covers her movements by approaching Yemi to ask about borrowing a car for a verified leisure pass weekend, hoping surveillance will not note that she leaves with a bag she did not enter with.