After Jacks leaves Evangeline, time seems to speed up as dinner begins around the phoenix tree. Jacks’s empty chair beside Evangeline keeps filling with curious nobles, proving that his attention has made her socially important, but Evangeline can think only about his demand that she kiss Prince Apollo before the party ends or die.

When a servant comes to bring Evangeline to Apollo, Evangeline panics and briefly mishears the summons as an announcement of her death. Evangeline theorizes that Jacks may have used his blood magic to make her lips deadly, but when Jacks escorts Evangeline up the stairs, he argues that he would not be present if his plan were to have Apollo killed.

On Apollo’s balcony, Evangeline meets the prince and is struck by his intense, commanding presence. Apollo reveals that Jacks has been talking about Evangeline for weeks, which makes Evangeline realize Jacks planned this encounter long before pretending surprise. Evangeline tries to question Apollo about Jacks, but Apollo grows cold and jealous, and Evangeline feels her heart painfully urging her to kiss Apollo before she loses her chance.

Evangeline kisses Apollo to save herself. Apollo first accepts the kiss casually, then becomes far more hungry and possessive, pulling Evangeline closer and kissing her with heat that unsettles her. Jacks abruptly tears Evangeline away and orders her not to look back.

Evangeline looks back anyway and sees Apollo alive but disturbed, repeatedly touching his lips as if trying to understand what happened. Evangeline asks what Jacks did, but Jacks tells Evangeline the important thing is what she has done, and that the next night Evangeline will do even more.