Chapter 22

Feyre wakes after Calanmai and confronts Tamlin about the bruise he left on her neck, leading to playful banter that restores her faith in him. Later, she dresses in a gown for dinner, and Tamlin uses magic to shorten the table between them before she invites him to her private painting room to show him her artwork.

Feyre awakens the morning after Calanmai with a large bruise on her neck from where Tamlin bit her. Rather than hide it, she deliberately leaves it visible as a statement. At lunch, when Lucien notices the bruise, Feyre matter-of-factly points to Tamlin, who explains they collided in the hall after the Rite and that she disobeyed his order to stay in her room. Feyre erupts in anger, calling him a "faerie pig," which amuses Lucien greatly and makes Tamlin smile—a sign to Feyre that the High Lord she knows has returned. They apologize at dinner, and Tamlin brings her white roses from his parents' garden. The next evening, Feyre dresses in a sheer turquoise gown over a golden underdress, a significant departure from her usual tunic and pants. During preparation, Alis reveals she came to the Spring Court from the Summer Court after her sister and mate were killed, to care for her nephews. At dinner, Lucien conveniently excuses himself when he sees Feyre in the gown. Tamlin, overwhelmed by her appearance, uses magic to shorten the dining table, though the effort visibly taxes him. They converse about his use of magic and his diminished power due to the blight on Prythian. Feyre leads him to her private painting room, where she has been creating artwork. She shows him a painting of the starlit glen as a gift, but Tamlin becomes focused on her other paintings—depictions of her former life: her forest, her cottage, a intimate scene with Isaac from her village, and her father's beating. Recognizing these as windows into her past trauma, Tamlin grows protective and jealous. He ultimately asks for the painting of the frozen forest, telling Feyre it reminds him that he is not alone. The chapter ends with Feyre leaving her bedroom door unlocked.