With the battle below them worsening, Feyre pulls Mor aside and insists that Mor return to the front lines, where Cassian and Azriel are struggling to hold Hybern back. Mor resists because Rhys would blame her for leaving Feyre unguarded, but Feyre pushes her to go, partly because the army truly needs Mor and partly because Feyre intends to leave without being stopped. Mor finally agrees, arms herself, and winnows into the fight, joining Azriel and trying to cut a path toward Cassian while Nesta remains above, fixed on watching Cassian battle below.

Once Mor is gone, Feyre slips away to Elain's tent because she cannot wait any longer for Jurian or anyone else to reveal where Hybern's main host is hidden. Feyre asks Elain to use her strange sight to find the Suriel, explaining what it is and carefully placing an image of the creature into Elain's mind. While doing so, Feyre senses that Elain's mind is unshielded yet closed off, like iron gates overgrown with sleeping flowers, showing both Elain's vulnerability and the strange dormancy of her gift.

Elain struggles at first, but then she reaches for her power and describes the Suriel as moving through the world like the western wind. When Feyre asks where it is going, Elain places her finger on the map and identifies the destination as the Middle. The answer shocks Feyre, because the Suriel is heading into the ancient forest near the Weaver's territory, but it also gives Feyre the lead she desperately needs.

Feyre winnows to the Middle in five jumps, arriving nearly drained because of the magic she has already spent on glamour, fire, and travel. She enters the silent, oppressive forest alone with her Illyrian blade drawn, aware that deadly things roam there and remembering the Bone Carver's warning about the Weaver, Stryga. As Feyre moves deeper into the woods searching for the Suriel, an ancient rasping voice speaks from behind her and asks whether she has come to kill or to beg for help again.