Chapter Seventy-Six

Feyre hemorrhages during premature labor, with her babe wedged in the birth canal. As both mother and child slip toward death despite Madja's surgical intervention, Nesta makes a desperate choice: she dons the Mask, Crown, and Harp—three ancient artifacts of immense power—and plays the twenty-sixth string in a last-ditch effort to save them.

Mor alerts the household that Feyre has begun bleeding heavily, far earlier than her due date. At the River House, they find Feyre pale and weak on the bed while Madja attempts to turn the babe, who is wedged in the birth canal. Madja explains that Feyre is losing blood faster than it can be replaced and that the babe is in distress. When Madja notes that surgical removal of the babe—cutting it from Feyre—is extremely dangerous and has never succeeded, Feyre nonetheless commands them to proceed, prioritizing her child's life over her own safety. Rhys enters Feyre's mind to numb her pain as Madja performs the procedure. The babe emerges—tiny, winged, and silent—but Feyre continues to bleed uncontrollably despite magical healing attempts from both Rhys and Madja. As Feyre's breathing fails and Death itself seems to manifest in the room, Nesta steps away from her sisters. She closes her eyes and accesses the power she unleashed on Ramiel, then retrieves the three Cauldron artifacts: the Mask, the Crown, and the Harp. No one has ever wielded all three together and survived. With eyes blazing silver fire behind the Mask, Nesta approaches the dying Feyre and plucks the twenty-sixth string of the Harp.