Chapter no 31 – 32

Chapter no 31

The ball held in the narrator’s honor was a glittering affair filled with aristocrats, music, and celebration, but it felt like a hollow experience for her. She stayed close to Nesta, who warded off unwanted suitors, while Elain immersed herself in entertaining the guests. Despite the festivities, the narrator’s thoughts lingered on Tamlin and the danger she had left behind in Prythian. She was consumed with guilt over not doing more to help, not uncovering the truth of the blight, and not telling Tamlin she loved him before leaving.

The following day, a conversation at the family lunch table unveils horrifying news about the Beddor family’s tragic demise. Clare Beddor, whose name the narrator had falsely given to Rhysand, became the unintended victim of faeries’ wrath. The revelation stirs deep guilt and confirms that danger is escalating in both the human and faerie realms. Determined to act, the narrator warns her family to prepare for possible threats and makes plans to return to Prythian to save Tamlin and confront the growing peril.

Nesta’s actions surprise the narrator as she supports her departure and ensures she is prepared with supplies and weapons. The bond between the sisters strengthens as Nesta reveals her own ambitions and offers the narrator her blessing to leave, showing her fierce love and belief in the narrator’s purpose. Elain, too, expresses her support and bids an emotional farewell, signaling a shared understanding of the risks ahead. With her family’s encouragement, the narrator sets off, resolved to face whatever lies ahead.

The narrator’s journey back to Prythian is arduous and fraught with uncertainty. She travels through forests and over invisible walls, determined to return to Tamlin despite the odds. The weight of her guilt and love drives her forward as she navigates the dangers of the faerie lands. Finally, she reaches the Spring Court, only to find it eerily silent and desolate, the once-beautiful manor destroyed and abandoned.

In the wreckage of the manor, the narrator’s worst fears are realized: Tamlin and Lucien are gone, and the devastation signals a greater threat at play. Alone in the ruins, she is left with the overwhelming reality of the stakes she faces and the resolve to do whatever it takes to save Tamlin and confront the forces that have wreaked havoc on Prythian.

Chapter no 32

The narrator discovers the aftermath of a violent attack at the Spring Court manor, marked by shattered glass, bloodstains, and destruction, but no bodies. Desperate to find Tamlin and Lucien alive, she carefully follows the clues left in the wreckage until a figure appears—Alis. Alis confirms that Tamlin and Lucien are alive but reveals that Amarantha, the High Queen of Prythian, has taken Tamlin to her court “Under the Mountain.” The weight of the situation begins to settle as the narrator demands the truth about Amarantha and the curse that has plagued Tamlin and his court.

Alis explains Amarantha’s history, from her role as a lethal general during the War to her betrayal of the High Lords and her rise to power in Prythian. Manipulating and poisoning the High Lords, Amarantha stole their powers and enslaved them, using Prythian as a base to prepare for an eventual war against the human realm. Tamlin’s curse, crafted by Amarantha as punishment for his rejection of her, required him to make a mortal girl fall in love with him to break the spell. The narrator realizes her role in this curse and the consequences of her failure to save Tamlin before the time ran out.

As the narrator learns of Tamlin’s sacrifices and the measures he took to protect her and his people, her guilt deepens. Alis reveals how Tamlin sent his men to their deaths in hopes of fulfilling the curse and how he ultimately fell in love with the narrator despite the odds. With days left before the curse expired, Tamlin let her go, prioritizing her safety over breaking the spell. Now, enslaved to Amarantha, Tamlin and the Spring Court face an unimaginable fate, leaving the narrator to grapple with the devastating impact of her actions.

Determined to fix her mistakes, the narrator demands to be taken to Amarantha. Despite Alis’s warnings of the dangers Under the Mountain and the impossibility of survival, the narrator remains resolute. Fueled by guilt, love, and a desire to undo the destruction she inadvertently caused, she refuses to abandon Tamlin or accept his enslavement as fate. Her resolve to fight for Tamlin strengthens as she acknowledges the sacrifices made by those around her.

Ultimately, Alis relents and agrees to show the narrator the way to Amarantha’s court. The narrator, prepared to risk her life, views her journey as a chance for redemption and an opportunity to fight for the man she loves. With her decision made, she sets out, ready to face the unimaginable horrors ahead and to confront Amarantha, no matter the cost.