Chapter 24

Feyre awakens to discover that the faeries around the manor have been glamoured to appear more palatable to her human eyes, and she learns that creatures she thought were external threats were actually court members all along. The chapter takes a darker turn when a severed head appears in the garden, branded with the sigil of the Night Court, signaling a territorial threat and escalating tensions surrounding the mysterious blight.

Feyre wakes to find Alis, the housekeeper, revealed to be a tree-bark-skinned faerie beneath a glamour. She learns from Tamlin and Lucien that the entire manor staff and grounds have been glamoured to hide their true faerie appearances from her human perception. This explains why creatures like the puca and naga seemed external—they weren't part of Tamlin's court and thus weren't subject to his glamours. Lucien teases her about romantic encounters while Tamlin warns her that the blight is activating again in other territories, with dangerous creatures being freed from their restraints. He assures her she is safe at the manor. The next morning, Feyre discovers a severed male High Fae head impaled on a garden fountain statue. Lucien identifies a sigil branded behind the ear: a mountain with three stars, marking it as the work of the Night Court. Tamlin explains this is a territorial warning and display of the Night Court's power to breach their defenses, but frames it as a cruel prank rather than a direct threat. The head's presence indicates the Night Court is aware the blight is awakening and may be circling the Spring Court. Feyre and Tamlin discuss the history of human enslavement in Prythian; Tamlin reveals he was a child when his father sent enslaved humans south of the wall and expresses relief at their departure. Feyre reassures him that his treatment of her differs entirely from his father's cruelty, noting shadows in his eyes that suggest deeper, untold trauma. She resolves not to press him further and decides against painting that day.