Dior runs eleven miles before Kiara Dyvok's hunters catch her. The snowhound Elaina finds Dior first, Matteo helps bring Dior down, and Joaquin tries to restrain her without hurting her. Dior fights viciously, wounding Shae and Joaquin as the pursuers overwhelm her.

Shae retaliates with cruelty, kicking Dior in the skull, punching her, and threatening to mutilate and rape her despite Joaquin's insistence that Kiara ordered Dior unharmed. Joaquin defends Dior, arguing that Kane's servants must obey Kiara, but Shae attacks him. In the struggle, Shae kills Matteo and stabs Joaquin three times, leaving the kennelboy dying in the snow.

Kiara arrives and murders Shae in a spectacular act of violence, tearing out his heart and ripping him apart. Kane objects because Shae was his property, but Kiara warns Kane to control his servants and not challenge her. Kiara then refuses to save Joaquin, declaring the hunt over and the kennelboy no longer useful.

Dior takes Joaquin's hand and uses her holy blood to heal him, revealing the power that makes her the Holy Grail of San Michon. Kane grabs Dior in astonishment, but Dior's blood touches Kane's Dead flesh and burns his newly regrown hand with white fire. The display confirms Dior's danger and value to both vampires.

Kiara restrains Dior with gauntleted hands and threatens to blind, burn, and carve Dior if Dior runs again, while making clear that Dior must remain alive because their enemies want her. Kiara reveals that they are taking Dior to Nikita the Blackheart, Priori of Blood Dyvok, in Dún Maergenn. Dior realizes this is also where Mother Maryn rests, so her desire to flee vanishes.

In the framing scene beneath Sul Adair, Celene presents these events to Jean-François as evidence of divine design, while the historian remains impatient. Back in the memory, Joaquin mourns Matteo but obeys Kiara, Elaina follows, and Dior goes with them under Kane's watch. Behind them, drops of Dior's holy blood briefly move as if returning to her before freezing still in the snow.