Three days into her first heat, Orlaith struggles in an ice bath while her handmaiden, Tanith, changes her sheets. The intense arousal and fever are overwhelming, making even the cold water insufficient. Tanith adds bergamot oil to mask the floral musk scent of Orlaith’s heat, assuring her the fever will break in a couple of days.

After Tanith leaves, the sound of the closing door reminds Orlaith that she is not locked in. Driven by her heat, she waits for Tanith to descend, then abandons the bath, running down the spiral stairs of Stony Stem. At the bottom, she collides with a shirtless Rhordyn blocking the doorway. His proximity and exposed body only intensify her arousal. When he pins her against the wall, Orlaith protests that she needs to wander. He corrects her, stating that she needs to have sex. Rhordyn orders her to return upstairs and begins counting down. Orlaith runs back up as he follows closely. She locks herself in just as he reaches the top, then listens to his descending footsteps. Overwhelmed by desire, she sinks to the floor, grinds against the cold stone, and cries.