Chapter 34

Raeve and Kaan share an intimate meal in his mother's home, where tension and attraction clash with Raeve's murderous intentions. After an explosive confrontation and reconciliation, Kaan settles Raeve in a bedroom for the night while a rainstorm batters the house outside.

Raeve observes Kaan crafting a dragonscale blade while preparing soup, noting his competence and wondering if he travels without soldiers because he seeks to hunt moonshards incognito. When Kaan serves the meal, Raeve struggles to eat with bound wrists and, frustrated, bites his forearm. This ignites a charged physical confrontation against the wall where Kaan pins her, revealing he simply wants her to accept help and eat. A loud rainstorm terrifies Raeve momentarily until Kaan assures her of her safety, though she remains skeptical of his motivations. After apologizing for her disrespect and thanking him for the meal, Raeve eats directly from the bowl in an unladylike manner, causing Kaan to laugh—a sound that breaks something in her, and she laughs with genuine joy for the first time, unable to stop. When her laughter fades, she catches Kaan watching her with an intensity that suggests he wants her for herself rather than her abilities, a realization that frightens her into defensive hostility. Nevertheless, she allows him to feed her the remainder of the soup and guide her upstairs to a cozy bedroom. Kaan warns her that escape is possible only if she can slip past him on the seater downstairs, and points out the privy, then leaves her alone as lightning flashes across his face.