Chapter 5

Feyre and Lucien ride to a nearby village to inspect rebuilding efforts, but the villagers reject their help. Through conversation, Feyre learns about the upcoming Tithe, Tamlin's protective restrictions on her freedom, and the horrific camps where Spring Court people were imprisoned under Amarantha's rule.

Lucien offers Feyre a ride to inspect the village reconstruction, and Feyre confronts him about lying regarding the naga attack. Lucien reveals Tamlin ordered him to keep silent, prioritizing court order and stability over transparency. Feyre expresses frustration at being confined to the estate, comparing her treatment to that of a prisoner, but Lucien defends Tamlin's caution, explaining his terror of losing her again after her near-death Under the Mountain. When Feyre dismisses his paternalism, Lucien warns her about the Tithe—a biannual tax collected from all Spring Court members that will occur next month. He explains that as Tamlin's future wife, Feyre will be expected to witness his judgment of those unable to pay, which can result in hunted they fail to settle their debts within three days' grace. Lucien shares his own trauma: watching his father murder the female he loved, with no resurrection magic available. He contrasts this with Tamlin's fortune in having Feyre returned to life, arguing Tamlin will do anything to protect her from such loss again. At the village, villagers greet Feyre as 'Feyre Cursebreaker' but reject Lucien's offers to help with reconstruction. Riding back, Lucien explains the villagers were imprisoned in camps beneath the Mountain for fifty years during Amarantha's rule, suffering starvation, madness, and violence. Their rejection stems from wanting to forget that trauma, not from actual need. Feyre feels the weight of her immortal future press down upon her.