Chapter 20

Feyre and Rhys descend into the vast underground library beneath the House of Wind, where priestesses—survivors of terrible violence—live and work in refuge. While researching the wall's origins, they discover it was originally meant to be temporary, designed to separate humans and Fae until they could reunite as one people, but became permanent as centuries passed and memories faded. Feyre begins formulating a dangerous strategy involving the Bone Carver to strengthen their forces against Hybern.

Feyre and Rhys journey deep beneath the House of Wind to an enormous library carved into the mountain itself, spiraling down multiple levels with an unexplained darkness at its bottom that even Cassian refuses to discuss. They meet Clotho, a mute priestess with permanently damaged hands who was tortured by males and now lives in the library as a refuge that Rhys created for traumatized priestesses. Clotho has gathered texts on the wall's formation. After working separately for two hours to avoid distraction, Feyre and Rhys compare findings: the wall was originally designed as a temporary measure to separate humans and Fae until they could later reunite as one people, but it became permanent as centuries passed, humans forgot their ancestors' promises, and new social structures developed. Later, sitting in the House of Wind overlooking Velaris, Feyre and Rhys discuss their slim chances against Hybern's army. Rhys admits he is willing to sacrifice himself in a confrontation with the King of Hybern, but Feyre refuses to accept this. She recalls Amren's warning about awakening older things by uniting the Book of Breathings, and proposes a new strategy: negotiating with the Bone Carver from the Prison, offering him a way home in exchange for his aid against Hybern.