Feyre returns to the dining room, starving but wary of faerie food. Tamlin serves her and offers little guidance beyond “do whatever you want.” When Feyre begs for her family, Tamlin swears they are provided for but magically restrains her when she tries to leave, warning that if she flees or crosses the wall, their aid ends. Assured the food is safe, Feyre eats as Lucien needles her about Andras and pries into her romantic life, before Tamlin dismisses her.

After a restless night, Feyre’s curtain-rigged tripwire snaps into Alis’s face at dawn. Alis scolds her, provides breakfast, warns the grounds are dangerous, and helps Feyre dress. Wandering the quiet halls, Feyre is captivated by masterful paintings, then considers gaining allies to seek a loophole to the Treaty.

At the garden doors, Tamlin offers a tour; Feyre refuses and questions the Treaty. Tamlin explains the wall is an inconvenience and reveals a decades-long magical blight that fixed their masks, weakened his power, and sent Andras across the wall to seek a cure. He admits it could one day affect mortals. After noting her tripwire and insisting he is civilized, Tamlin orders her to attend dinner. Feyre departs, doubting any warning will reach humans.