Chapter Sixty-Four

Nesta awakens in the Blood Rite competition with no memory of how she arrived, discovers her magical powers have been bound, and must navigate a field of unconscious Illyrian warriors. She spots a hidden knife and races a male competitor to claim it, killing him in the struggle and taking his clothes and boots before setting out to find Emerie and Gwyn. Intercut with this, Cassian learns that Nesta and her friends have been forced into the Rite and that he cannot intervene without condemning them, while also learning that Eris has been captured by Briallyn and must be rescued.

Nesta regains consciousness in the Blood Rite arena, her body aching and her magic drained by the Rite's spells. She finds herself surrounded by two hundred unconscious Illyrian warriors in a vast pine forest, realizing she must have awakened first due to her Made nature. With no weapons, no warm clothes, and no knowledge of where Emerie and Gwyn have been placed, she begins to plan her survival. She spots a male warrior awakening a hundred feet away who stares at her with predatory intent, and simultaneously notices a knife embedded in a nearby tree—an impossible presence that violates the Rite's rules. Nesta sprints toward the knife, and the male gives chase. They tumble down a hillside together and crash into a streambed below, where Nesta manages to drive the knife through the male's throat, killing him. She strips his body for warm clothes and boots, then moves onward to search for her friends. Meanwhile, in Emerie's house, Cassian learns from Azriel that Nesta, Gwyn, and Emerie have been conscripted into the Blood Rite—a competition with strict laws forbidding outside intervention, which would result in the rescuer's and the warrior's execution. Rhysand cannot mount a rescue mission because he and Feyre made a bargain to die together, meaning if either of them dies, both die, and with Feyre's pregnancy so advanced, any risk is unacceptable. Cassian is forced to accept that he cannot help Nesta directly. Instead, the group learns that Eris has been captured by Briallyn using Koschei's power, and Cassian and Azriel must be sent to rescue him to prevent him from revealing Night Court secrets under the Crown's influence. Cassian armors himself and expresses faith in Nesta's training, hoping she and her friends can survive the ordeal.