Feyre is led into the silent throne room for her final trial. Amid restrained crowds and masked courtiers, Amarantha produces three hooded faeries and ash daggers, ordering Feyre to stab each in the heart or forfeit her life. With no escape, Feyre chooses to act for Prythian’s freedom.

The first hood is removed, revealing a young High Fae who pleads for mercy. Overwhelmed by horror yet determined to free Tamlin’s court, Feyre drives the dagger into his heart, killing him. Shaken, she faces the second, a young female who prays for a painless passage and nods for Feyre to proceed; Feyre grants the request and kills her, retreating into numbness.

For the third, the hood is pulled and Feyre finds Tamlin kneeling before her. The Tamlin on the throne morphs into the Attor, exposing Amarantha’s deceit. Cornered between killing Tamlin or dying, Feyre searches for the hidden aid Alis had urged her to hear and sifts through memories of overheard conversations and hints.

Feyre recalls Lucien’s remark and the Attor’s taunt about Tamlin’s heart of stone and realizes a blade cannot pierce it. Trusting her deduction and Tamlin’s silent defiance, she seizes the final dagger. Believing the blow cannot kill him and will break Amarantha’s control, Feyre declares her love and stabs Tamlin.