A Court of Silver Flames
by Sarah J. Maas
Contents
Chapter Thirty-One
Overview
Cassian tells Nesta that Feyre’s winged baby makes childbirth potentially fatal, revealing the full source of Rhysand’s fear and urgency. Moved by the danger and the wider threat of war, Nesta agrees to scry again for the Dread Trove.
During the ritual, Nesta slips into a terrifying, death-soaked state that even Rhys and Feyre cannot penetrate, and Cassian is the one who pulls her back. The scrying reveals that the Mask is hidden in the deadly Bog of Oorid, sending Nesta and Cassian toward their next dangerous mission.
Summary
At breakfast, Nesta is shocked to see Cassian battered after sparring with Rhysand. Cassian explains that Rhys needed to vent his fear because Madja has confirmed Feyre’s baby has wings. He tells Nesta that winged births are often fatal for High Fae females because their bodies are not shaped to deliver winged children, and even desperate measures have historically failed. Knowing Rhys is already seeking answers from Miryam, Drakon, and other courts, Nesta decides to try scrying again despite the terror of her last attempt.
After this grim conversation, Nesta shifts the mood by provoking Cassian with blunt sexual teasing. Cassian admits he has been waiting for her lead after their last encounter, and Nesta promises him more only after he recovers and after she completes the scrying. Their bargain turns desire into a kind of motivation, with Nesta treating success as a condition for giving in to him again.
The next afternoon, Nesta and Cassian join Rhysand, Feyre, Azriel, and Amren in the River House study. Nesta silently promises Rhys through a crack in her mental shields that she will not tell Feyre the full danger of the pregnancy. After brief questions about her failed first attempt, Nesta takes the stones and bones, steadies herself with Cassian’s presence, and lets his touch anchor her while she sinks into the same dark, deathlike inner place tied to her power and the Cauldron.
As Nesta searches for the Mask, the room grows unnaturally cold and her mind becomes unreachable. Feyre and Rhys cannot break through her shields, and Amren recognizes that Nesta’s mind is protected by something beyond ordinary faerie magic. When Nesta opens her eyes with silver fire burning in them, Cassian realizes something ancient and deathly is looking out through her. Unable to reach her any other way, he uses heat, desire, and a kiss to call her back, warming both her and the room until she releases the stones and bones.
Once Nesta returns to herself, everyone sees where the scrying has led: the Mask lies in the Bog of Oorid in the Middle. Amren explains that Oorid was once sacred but is now a place of deep corruption and dangerous creatures. Feyre warns that the bog is perilous, but Nesta insists on going immediately so she will not lose her resolve. Cassian supports her decision, and they agree to leave after breakfast the next morning.
Who Appears
- Nesta ArcheronLearns Feyre’s pregnancy is deadly, agrees to scry again, and locates the Mask in Oorid.
- CassianReveals the danger to Feyre, supports Nesta, and pulls her out of the scrying trance.
- Feyre ArcheronPregnant with a winged child, attends the scrying, and remains unaware of the full childbirth risk.
- RhysandTerrified for Feyre, searches for healing answers, and cannot breach Nesta’s sealed mind.
- AmrenQuestions Nesta’s scrying, recognizes the unusual force guarding her mind, and identifies Oorid’s significance.
- AzrielAssures Nesta that Elain is protected and stands watch during the dangerous scrying attempt.