Chapter 63

Feysand and their allies mount a covert military operation to infiltrate the castle of Hybern and retrieve the Cauldron. Feyre, armed with the Book of Breathings and accompanied by Cassian, Azriel, and Mor, flies to the castle's coast and makes her way through its lower levels, systematically eliminating guards on the path to the Cauldron's chamber.

Feyre prepares for the mission with Rhysand, Cassian, Azriel, Mor, and Amren in the foyer of the House of Wind. She carries both halves of the Book of Breathings and multiple concealed weapons. Before departure, Rhysand extracts promises of protection from Cassian and Azriel, and exchanges a meaningful glance with Mor, whose orders have not been disclosed to Feyre. The group splits: the males winnow away while Mor carries Feyre through the air toward Hybern's coast. They approach a bone-colored castle built into white cliffs overlooking the sea, with Cassian noting the location's desolate and oppressive atmosphere. Azriel scouts ahead while Cassian and Mor wait near a sea door entrance. The party descends through dark passages and a dungeon, with Cassian and Azriel systematically eliminating guards along the route. Feyre finds herself drawn magnetically toward the Cauldron by the Book of Breathings, which resonates with recognition and ancient power. The guards are dispatched efficiently, their deaths triggering no remorse in Feyre, who views them as complicit in attacks on Velaris and Rhysand. The group reaches a round chamber deep beneath the castle where the Cauldron sits atop a dais, illuminated by Cassian's faelight.