Content Warning: This section of the guide includes descriptions of addiction and violence.

Days pass, and finally the Butcher opens the door and tells her it is time to go. Kiva is brought to a room with the Warden and some guards. Warden Rooke tells her that there will be no audience for the final trial, and she will have one hour to complete it. She is surprised when he tells her that Jaren will join her. Then something hard hits Kiva’s head, and she loses consciousness.

Kiva wakes in the tunnels with Jaren and tells Jaren that he should have told her the truth about himself. Jaren reveals that when Tilda was sent to Zalindov, he created a plan to learn more about the rebels. Originally, a royal guard was going to infiltrate the prison, but the guard broke his leg, so Jaren took his place. Unfortunately, because Jaren antagonized Cresta when he defended Kiva, he was never able to ingratiate himself to her and find out more about the rebels. Jaren claims that he wanted this information to protect the kingdom.

Kiva asks him why he stayed in the prison if his mission was a failure, and he admits that Kiva was his reason to stay.