Chapter 65

Feysand and Azriel execute a daring rescue mission into the King of Hybern's camp, infiltrating as Ianthe to locate and free Elain. With help from Jurian and Tamlin, they escape with Elain and a young captive named Briar, but the escape costs them dearly as Azriel is gravely wounded by the king's hounds.

Feysand enters Hybern's camp disguised as the High Priestess Ianthe, with Azriel hidden in shadow as her escort. She passes through the guards and proceeds toward the king's tent, deliberately ignoring the horrors around her—torture victims from the Children of the Blessed—to focus on finding Elain. Jurian intercepts her near the bonfire revelry and reveals that Elain is imprisoned in the king's tent under steel bonds and magical restraint. He directs Feysand to pray before the Cauldron as a cover story and promises to create a diversion. Inside the king's massive tent, Azriel emerges from the shadows and they rush to free Elain, who is gagged and bound. As guards approach, Azriel scoops Elain into his arms while Feysand grabs weapons. Azriel cloaks them in shadow-binding as they flee, but the dawn arrives quickly, weakening the shadows. The King of Hybern's hounds—monstrous scaled creatures—pursue them relentlessly. Feysand draws a bow and kills hounds while running toward the cliff's edge. She is struck by an ash arrow through the shoulder but continues fighting. Tamlin, revealed to have been assisting them, intercepts the hounds in beast form, sacrificing himself to buy them time. Azriel takes flight with Elain and Briar (the young captive Jurian left at the cliff), while Feysand summons her wings despite the pain. When a hound attacks Azriel mid-flight, Elain holds the girl steady and kicks the creature away, sending it to plummet into the ravine. Using Helion's white light magic, Feysand tears a hole through the king's wards just as he fires arrows at them. Tamlin makes a final leap through the wards, aided by spring magic, before winnowing away. The group reaches their own camp as dawn breaks. Azriel is gravely wounded, requiring immediate healer attention from Thesan. Rhysand, Nesta, and others rush to help. Nesta embraces Feysand with uncharacteristic emotional intensity, thanking her repeatedly. Elain is unchained by Helion and shows affection to Azriel before reuniting with her sisters. That morning, the three sisters lie together on a bearskin rug, holding each other as they rest and recover from the ordeal.