Alizeh sits curled inside the kitchen hearth late at night, sewing a glittering gown by firelight because she is painfully, unnaturally cold. The commission is her only order of the month, and she hopes the dress will attract more wealthy clients, but she must keep the work merely adequate so no one accuses her of using Jinn abilities.

Her cold recalls a childhood incident when, as a toddler, she crawled into a fire seeking warmth. The flames did not harm her as expected, but her mother was burned while rescuing her, and her parents feared that the change in Alizeh’s eyes would get her killed. The memory underscores that Alizeh has long been marked as dangerous and has survived through secrecy.

The chapter explains the world Alizeh inhabits: Jinn and humans, called Clay, live under the Fire Accords, a fragile peace that demands Jinn suppress their natural powers or face death. Alizeh once tried to earn money through unusually fine dressmaking, but a rival reported her, leading to an attempted arrest and forcing her to flee to the city.

After pricking her finger, Alizeh gives up on the gown and prepares to clean the hearth before Mrs. Amina, the housekeeper of Baz House, discovers the mess. Alizeh works as a servant in the estate of Duchess Jamilah of Fetrous, though she is only employed on a trial basis, denied contact with other servants, and lodged in a decaying attic closet.

A flashback shows Alizeh’s first exchange with Mrs. Amina. Alizeh asks for a skin of water, reveals that she can read, and learns that literacy and refinement make her less desirable as a servant. Mrs. Amina warns Alizeh to hide her intelligence, lose her accent, work hard enough to justify hiring a Jinn, and obtain a snoda so her face will remain covered.