Feyre spends the night guarding the cave while Rhys remains unconscious and feverish. By morning, Feyre realizes the arrows that struck him were poisoned, and his wounds are not healing properly. Because Rhys is growing weaker and help may not reach them in time, Feyre decides she cannot wait for Cassian or Mor and leaves the cave alone to find an answer.

Remembering an old method, Feyre sets a trap with her cloak as bait and successfully summons the Suriel. She asks what poison was used and how to cure it. The Suriel tells Feyre the poison is bloodbane and that the cure is Feyre's own blood, strengthened by the healing gift she received from the High Lord of Dawn; it also mentions a pink-flowered weed by the river that will speed Rhys's recovery. Before leaving, the Suriel reveals something far more important: Rhys is Feyre's mate, and Rhys has known it for a long time.

Shaken and furious, Feyre returns to the cave, finds the weed, and forces the half-awake Rhys to chew it. She cuts her own arm and makes him drink several mouthfuls of her blood despite his confusion. Once he begins to recover, Feyre refuses to let him avoid the issue and demands answers about the mating bond.

Rhys admits he suspected the truth for some time and knew for certain when Amarantha killed Feyre; after Feyre was Made, the bond became unmistakable. He says he did not tell her because she had loved Tamlin, had been about to marry him, and later said she wanted only distraction and pleasure rather than a bond. He also admits that Amren and Mor know, while Azriel and Cassian suspect.

Feyre is devastated that Rhys kept such a life-changing truth from her after promising no more secrets. Rhys tries to explain that he was torn between telling her, accepting whatever part of her she offered, and letting her go to spare her the dangers tied to him. Still hurting and unwilling to listen further, Feyre orders him to winnow them back to the Illyrian camp, and Rhys obeys despite his pain.