After dawn, Nina begins suffering the effects of jurda parem withdrawal. The pain spreads through her body, her senses remain painfully sharpened, and even the table where she healed Inej seems to carry traces of blood and memory.

Matthias stays beside Nina, but Nina’s agony makes even his touch unbearable. When the tremors begin, Nina begs Matthias to leave because she does not want Matthias to witness her decline, yet Matthias refuses to abandon Nina.

Matthias considers Kuwei’s suggestion that ordinary jurda might help Nina survive the day, but Nina rejects anything that might lead to another dose of parem. Nina fears becoming like the addicted Grisha she saw in the Ice Court cells and admits that while under parem’s influence, Nina would have killed every drüskelle.

Matthias tells Nina that both of them carry sins and that Matthias needs Nina to live so he can atone for his own. Nina insists Nina is not sorry, then asks Matthias to stay with Nina until the end. Matthias answers that Matthias will stay afterward and always, promising to take Nina home to Ravka as Nina longs to feel safe again.