Chapter 73

Raeve wins at a high-stakes card game against multiple males before Kaan arrives and dismisses them all. Kaan proposes a wager: if he wins, she must answer three truthful questions; if she wins, they pretend to be the couple from her lost memories until the next aurora, after which she'll have a Mindweft erase him from her mind. When Kaan begins to probe about someone she's lost, Raeve attempts to flee but is magically bound to the table by the octimar dealer, forced to continue the game.

Raeve finishes a gambling session where she has soundly defeated multiple high-ranking males, winning substantial gold and valuables through games of skill. When Kaan arrives at the chamber, all the remaining males immediately retreat in deference to him. After they leave, Kaan confronts Raeve about her activities, referencing a previous conversation where he asked her to "dance." Through their exchange, it emerges that Raeve has bound herself to another male since her time with Kaan in what appears to be a shared past they both remember—though Raeve's memories are fragmented. Despite this, Kaan reveals he still loves her and saved her life twice, including by killing a male who harmed her. Raeve proposes two options: either she leaves with her gold to hire a Moltenmaw to hunt someone (implied to be Rekk Zharos), or they play a card game with magical stakes. They choose to play. Kaan's wager is that if he wins, Raeve must answer three truthful questions. Raeve counters that if she wins, they will roleplay as the couple from her lost memories until the next aurora rise, at which point she will hire a Mindweft to erase him from her mind and Kaan must grant her a single wish. As the game begins, Kaan starts to probe—observing that Raeve has lost someone—which triggers an emotional reaction. When Raeve attempts to flee the table, the octimar magically binds her to it with a leathery appendage around her throat, preventing her escape until Kaan helps her back to her seat. The game is now locked until completion.