Chapter 21

Rhys reveals his plan to retrieve the Book of Breathings by having Feyre test her newfound ability to track magical objects. He announces she will become an Emissary to the human realm and tasks her with visiting her family's estate to secure the human queens' cooperation. That night, Rhys takes Feyre to attempt stealing a valuable object from the Weaver, an ancient and dangerous creature, to confirm her tracking powers before the mission becomes critical.

Rhys returns to the town house where Cassian, Mor, and Azriel have been waiting. He reveals that the Bone Carver confirmed the existence of the Cauldron and explains that the King of Hybern's attack on their temple constitutes an act of war. Rhys announces plans to infiltrate Hybern and either retrieve the Cauldron or use the Book of Breathings to nullify its power. He discloses that Feyre possesses a unique ability to locate objects magically spelled by High Lords, making her essential to finding the hidden halves of the Book. To test this ability before attempting the Summer Court, Rhys proposes a dangerous task: stealing an object from the Weaver, an ancient, blind but lethal creature who hoards treasures. Mor and Azriel express strong objections to this plan. Rhys then proposes naming Feyre Emissary to the human realm, intending to use her family's estate as neutral territory to negotiate with human queens for their half of the Book. He argues this is necessary because the King of Hybern may shatter the wall separating the worlds. Despite Cassian's concerns about involving her family, Feyre agrees, motivated by fear of what Hybern's forces could do to her sisters and the human world. That night Rhys arrives at her room before dawn, insisting they leave immediately for the Weaver's cottage. He outfits her with fighting leathers and a belt of knives, instructing her to touch only the object he seeks and remain silent to avoid detection. He explains that because Feyre shares the magical imprint of the object through his preserving spell, she will be invisible to the Weaver so long as she touches only it. If discovered, Rhys cryptically states they will learn how skilled she truly is.