Feyre and Rhys ask the Bone Carver if there’s another way they can convince him to help them. Like any self-respecting villain out of a fairy-ish tale, he requests their first born child (fun fact: this is the same child he takes the form of!), but he gets denied.
Then everyone gets dressed for the meeting of all the High Lords. Nesta shows up looking HAWT and declares that she’s now going with them.
A Court of Wings and Ruin Chapter 42:
Nesta explains she’s going because she doesn’t want to be remembered as a coward. I don’t know who is going to remember Nesta, but okay. She also says she wants to make sure someone fights for human lives.
Rhys stepped up to my side. “As High Lady, Feyre is no longer my emissary to the human world.” He gave Nesta a tentative smile. “Want the job?”
Nesta’s face yielded nothing, but I could have sworn some spark flared. “Consider this meeting a trial basis. And I’ll make you pay through the teeth for my services.”
This leads to some “jokey banter”, which culminates in a wing size/dick size joke before the gang heads off to the meeting.
They also place bets on how long it will take for a fight to break out.
“You do remember there are vows and wards of neutrality,” Rhys said mildly.
What the fuck is a ward of neutrality?
Oh wait, sorry, they still haven’t left yet. Now Cassian and Nesta are having A Moment and Mor is nervously watching them…because remember if they get together she and Azriel can no longer avoid each other…for reasons.
Cassian’s eyes did not leave Nesta’s; nor did hers leave his. There was no warmth, no tenderness on either of their faces. Only that raging intensity, that blend of contempt and understanding and fire.
I am still totally unconvinced of these two no matter how many times the book is like BUT THEY LOOKED AT EACH OTHER INTENSELY AND WERE SLIGHTLY RUDE TO ONE ANOTHER.
Okay, so now we finally head to the Dawn Court. It’s very dawny.
If the palace above the Court of Nightmares had been crafted of moonstone, this was made from … sunstone.
“If the palace bout the Court of Nightmares was made of…night things…then then was made from…day things.”
There were other palaces within Dawn’s territory— set in small cities that specialized in tinkering and clockwork and clever things.
“Specialized in tinkering and clockwork and clever things.” Wow, that covers a whole lot of things these cities could specialise in. Is the tinkering one just a bunch of people wandering around like, “Hey, I think there’s something wrong with your fae carburetor, can I tinker for a second?”
They climb up a lot of stairs to get to the meeting room. I never understand when they do or don’t winnow/fly places. Anyway, the lords of the Day, Winter and Dawn courts are already there. Before they enter Rhys tells Feyre that she bows to no one.
Wow, this chapter was pretty long, but 50% of it was just describing how pretty the Dawn Court is and Rhy’s friends telling him he should redecorate his palace. Unfortunately, I do not have time to tackle another one of these chapters, so please just know that I spared you like 4000 words about pillows and flowers.