Rhysand lands in the town house with badly wounded Cassian and Azriel. Amren immediately tries to keep Cassian alive and is horrified by the state of his wings, while Mor appears moments later and uses her power to heal the hole in Azriel's chest. Both males are unconscious, and the urgency of their injuries makes Feyre's absence even more alarming.

When Amren demands to know what happened, Mor explains the trap at Hybern. Tamlin had agreed to give the king passage through Spring and help capture Feyre in exchange for getting her back, but Ianthe betrayed even that plan by revealing where Nesta and Elain could be found. Hybern then used Feyre's sisters and the mortal queens to demonstrate the Cauldron's power, forcing Nesta and Elain into it while the others were helpless to stop him. To save her friends and stop the slaughter, Feyre pretended to break free of Rhysand's control and agreed to return with Tamlin if Hybern freed the others.

Mor adds that Feyre also asked Hybern to break her bond with Rhysand. Amren insists a true mating bond cannot be severed, and Rhys confirms that Hybern broke only the bargain tattoo between him and Feyre, not the deeper bond of mates. Through that hidden bond, Rhys can still sense Feyre. When Amren urges him to go after Feyre immediately, Rhys refuses because he understands Feyre's real intention: she has chosen to enter the Spring Court as an agent who can destroy Tamlin and their enemies from within.

Rhys then reveals a second secret. Before leaving, he had Feyre sworn in by a priestess as High Lady of the Night Court, making her not merely his consort but his equal. That revelation reframes Feyre's choice as a sacrifice made for her court as well as for her family. Though Rhys is enraged and already thinking of vengeance against Tamlin, Ianthe, the queens, and Hybern, he decides that the Night Court must wait for the right moment, use every advantage available, and prepare for open war.