The Attor seizes Feyre in the mortal woods and tries to question her, but before it can continue, Rhysand erupts out of darkness and tears Feyre free. In the snowy clearing, Rhys binds the Attor to a tree with bands of night and begins interrogating it with cold, deliberate cruelty. Under pressure, the Attor admits that the King of Hybern sent it to capture Feyre, that Hybern’s army is coming soon, and that Hybern has allies in every territory waiting to act.

Azriel arrives silently in the clearing, his presence so terrifying that even the Attor trembles. Rhys warns the Attor that any future attempt to take Feyre will end in immediate death, then silently gives Azriel permission to take the creature away. Azriel vanishes with the Attor, and Rhys explains that they will use it to send a message back to Hybern. The encounter confirms that Feyre herself is now a target in the larger war.

Once the Attor is gone, Feyre turns her anger on Rhys. She realizes he expected someone to come after her and had intentionally left her alone as bait while she trained, trusting he could keep her safe. Rhys does not deny it, and Feyre strikes his chest in fury. The blow makes both of them realize that, in her panic, Feyre forgot the unnatural strength and other powers she now possesses.

Rhys then pushes harder, accusing Feyre of giving up and forgetting that she can fight, burn, become darkness, and grow claws. His words cut beyond the attack itself, reaching the larger truth of how trauma has made Feyre stop using the gifts and instincts she has. Enraged, Feyre tries to hit him again and again, but Rhys keeps winnowing away, forcing her to chase him through the clearing.

What begins as an argument turns into a brutal lesson. Rhys taunts Feyre to try harder, and Feyre lunges after him with mounting fury, even drawing her talons as she attacks. In the middle of the chase, Feyre suddenly senses the pattern of Rhys’s movement through darkness and instinctively folds herself into wind, shadow, and starlight. She winnows for the first time and reappears directly in front of Rhys, tackling him into the snow.