Chapter 31

Feyre joins Rhysand and his Inner Circle for an evening out in Velaris, dining by the river and experiencing the city's vibrant culture. After the group heads to a dance club, Rhysand walks Feyre home, revealing the secret history of the Night Court and sharing a moment of connection by the river. That night, Feyre and Rhysand exchange flirtatious notes while in bed, mixing teasing banter with charged innuendo.

The chapter opens with Feyre observing Rhysand, Cassian, Azriel, Mor, and Amren strolling through Velaris at night, struck by how the citizens show no fear but rather admiration for them. They enter a small riverside restaurant where the owner greets them warmly and serves elaborate food. During the meal, the owner warns Rhysand about spice prices rising due to rumors of Hybern awakening, and later brings Amren a goblet of fresh blood. After dinner, Mor suggests dancing at Rita's, and though Azriel, Cassian, and Mor head to the club, Rhysand chooses to walk Feyre home instead. Along the river, Rhysand shares the history of the Night Court: an ancient High Lord sealed Velaris away from the world, establishing it as a secret sanctuary while allowing the darker Court of Nightmares to exist openly as a buffer against invasion. When Feyre hears musicians playing the same haunting symphony that sustained her in her cell Under the Mountain, she realizes Rhysand sent that music to her during her imprisonment. He confirms he did so because she was breaking. They fly home together. Later, while reading in bed, Feyre discovers a note from Rhysand proposing she tend to his wounds from their snow fight. What follows is an extended exchange of flirtatious, sexually charged written banter between them—Feyre challenging him, Rhysand responding with bold propositions, their teasing growing increasingly intimate. Feyre ends the exchange by going to bed, and despite dreams of the Attor attacking her, she sleeps through the night without waking.