Chapter 32

Feyre trains in hand-to-hand combat with Cassian at the House of Wind while Rhysand and Azriel spar nearby. When Cassian mentions her letter to Tamlin, Feyre's emotional turmoil surfaces, causing her to accidentally burn through the sparring pads with newfound fire magic from Beron. Rhysand comforts her about her guilt over killing innocents, reveals his own trauma, and helps her begin to explore her newfound magical abilities.

Feyre undergoes combat training with Cassian in a rock courtyard atop the House of Wind. Initially struggling with her left-side coordination and punching technique, she improves as the session progresses. Cassian explains that Illyrian warriors receive their tattoos upon initiation for luck and glory in battle. While Rhysand and Azriel spar intensely nearby, Cassian confronts Feyre about the letter she wrote to Tamlin declaring she has left him for good. Feyre deflects by pointing out Cassian's feelings for Mor. When Cassian acknowledges the difficulty of her decision, Feyre begins sparring again but becomes emotionally overwhelmed, her intense feelings of guilt and anger burning through the sparring pads and leaving only ash in her hand wrappings. Shattered by the realization that she killed innocents under Amarantha's control, Feyre breaks down, confessing that she wishes she had died instead. Rhysand wraps his wings around her and shares his own trauma from his mother and sister's deaths, explaining that such guilt never fully disappears but can be survived. He then helps Feyre discover she possesses fire magic from Beron, the High Lord of the Autumn Court, as a gift. When she struggles to access her newfound darkness magic from Rhysand, he demonstrates it for her, creating a peaceful, starlit darkness that allows her to breathe easily for the first time in memory. The chapter ends with Feyre asking Cassian to fly her home rather than accepting Rhysand's offer to continue training.