Maddie wakes in Apollo's sleigh wrapped against him and immediately feels ashamed of how freely she pursued him after drinking adela tea. As she remembers the intensity of the night and compares it to her past with Pol, Maddie realizes what she shared with Apollo felt far more open and uninhibited, which only deepens her embarrassment. Apollo, however, is gentle and openly affectionate, asking after her comfort, kissing her softly, and treating their closeness as natural rather than awkward.

When they stop to feed the horses and eat, Maddie sees a gray rabbit near the sleigh and panics when it speaks inside her head. She runs through the snow until Apollo catches her, draws his sword, and demands to know what frightened her. Once Maddie explains, Apollo relaxes and tells her that in Lunwyn many animals can communicate telepathically, with women understanding creatures like rabbits, cats, and mice, while men understand animals such as horses, wolves, and snakes. Maddie's complaint that men got the more interesting animals makes Apollo laugh genuinely, and the moment eases the tension between them.

Back in the sleigh, they eat poor travel sandwiches while Apollo promises a better meal when they reach Vasterhague after sundown. Maddie tries not to ignore him, asks whether there is more she should know about his world, and listens as Apollo says Lunwyn is in many ways simpler and less spoiled than her own world. As the journey continues, Maddie becomes increasingly aware of her physical attraction to him, and Apollo notices. He warns her that if she keeps looking at him that way, he will stop and take her in the sleigh, then makes it clear he is already anticipating being with her again that night.

Maddie pulls away enough to ask whether their relationship has changed, since Apollo is behaving with much more warmth and possessiveness than before. Apollo explains that adela tea, created from sacred trees by the goddess Adele, heightens desire, strips away inhibitions, helps lovers learn each other's bodies, and can strengthen an emotional bond if one already exists. He insists that Pol and Ilsa were between them before but were absent the night before, proving that what happened was truly about Maddie and Apollo. When Maddie says they should maybe go slowly, Apollo laughs, says neither of them truly wants to wait, and promises only that he will be slower and gentler that night. Maddie silently accepts that their bond has shifted into a real sexual and romantic relationship.