Previously, Nesta and Cassian went to distract Hybern. Everyone thinks they are going to die, but I’m sure they’ll be fine. Feyre and Amren go to nullify the Cauldron, but Amren seemingly has betrayed Feyre???
Chapter 74:
Amren only said, “I’m sorry I lied to you.”
I could not remove my hand. Could not pry my fingers away. I was being shredded apart, slowly, thoroughly.
[…]
Some tether slipped, and my mind slid closer to the Cauldron’s outstretched arms.
I felt it touch me.
I do not understand this Cauldron design at all.
Feyre gets pulled into…the mind of the Cauldron as it searches for Nesta on the battlefield. No, I can’t explain it better than that.
Through the Cauldron she can see everyone fighting, and apparently Rhys has morphed into his most monstrous form. I didn’t realise that was a thing. I’m sure it has come up before, but I’d totally forgotten.
It was a thing of nightmares. Nothing human or Fae in it. It was a creature that lived in black pits and only emerged at night to hunt and feast. The face … it was those creatures that had been carved into the rock of the Court of Nightmares.
Other High Lords transform as well. I really did not know they could all shape shift…I just knew Tamlin grew claws and could maybe turn into some sort of beast.
The Cauldron and Feyre keep looking for Nesta. They find her with Cassian about to attack Hybern BUT OH NO! Hybern has a sword to Papa Archeron! I CARE SO MUCH!!!!!
Save him, I begged the Cauldron of my father. Help him.
The Cauldron did not answer. It had no voice, no consciousness save some base need to take back that which had been stolen.
Bitch, why would the Cauldron save your father for you? Also what is the Cauldron’s deal exactly?
Hybern snaps their father’s neck. Hi Papa Archeron–oh! Bye Papa Archeron! Glad we had you back for like three pages. Unless you’re also about to come back as a Fae and find out your mate is Feyre’s handmaiden from the first book.
Cassian attacks the king and gets the shit kicked out of him. Oh my god, I’m shocked to report this to you, but I actually enjoy the next scene where Nesta becomes a BAMF.
The king looked over a shoulder as Nesta stepped forward. Cassian mouthed at her to run, blood escaping from his lips and onto the moss beneath him. Nesta took in his broken body, the pain in Cassian’s eyes, and angled her head.
The movement was not human.
Not Fae.
Purely animal.
Purely predator.
And when her eyes lifted to the king again … “I am going to kill you,” she said quietly.
GET HIM, NESTA!!!
But Nesta strikes once and misses Hybern…and has spent all of her power instantly so. Nope. BUT THEN she runs over to Cassian to grab his blade. COME ON, NESTA, PLEASE!
In two movements, he had her disarmed. In another, he struck her across the face, so hard she went down.
God damn it.
BUT WAIT!
Nesta turned over, and threw out a hand.
White, burning power shot out of her palm and slammed into his chest.
A ploy. To get him close. To lower his guard.
Her power sent him flying back, trees snapping under him. One after another after another.
The Cauldron seemed to settle. All that was left—that was it. All that was left of her power.
Wait, I’m sorry, what? Her power is just gone now? That was it? Why is the Cauldron settled now? It didn’t get the power back?
Nesta tries to get Cassian to get up before the king returns, but he’s too injured.
Cassian grunted in pain, but lifted his bloodied hands—to cup her face. “I have no regrets in my life, but this.” His voice shook with every word. “That we did not have time. That I did not have time with you, Nesta.”
She didn’t stop him as he leaned up and kissed her—lightly.
I like this, I just wish I was more invested in this ship. Nicely written, though.
Nesta throws herself over Cassian so they’ll die together. Feyre offers the Cauldron her soul in order to save them.
BUT THEN!
A choking noise came out of him.
For a moment, I thought the Cauldron had answered my pleas.
But as a black blade broke through the king’s throat, spraying blood, I realized someone else had.
But who could it be? Is it the ghost of Clare Bedor? The ghost of the Suriel? The ghost of the Weaver?
Elain stepped out of a shadow behind him, and rammed Truth-Teller to the hilt through the back of the king’s neck as she snarled in his ear,
“Don’t you touch my sister
Gasp! Bet the Cauldron wishes it had taken Feyre up on her offer sooner.
Chapter 75:
The Cauldron and Feyre continue to…stand around and watch the plot unfold. Apparently the Cauldron “purrs” in Elain’s presence. Seriously what in god’s name is this fucking thing?
Nesta finishes the job, beheading the king. Then she picks up the head and just stares at it for awhile. Oh, Nesta. You’re so fun.
The Cauldron somehow baffles me even more:
The Cauldron seemed to realize what she’d done, too, as his head thumped onto the mossy ground. T
hat Elain … Elain had defended this thief. Elain, who it had gifted with such powers, found her so lovely it had wanted to give her something … It would not harm Elain, even in its hunt to reclaim what had been taken.
Wut.
Now that this part of the plot is done, the Cauldron whisks Feyre away. Everybody is fighting! For some reason Jurian and Drakon are wasting time fighting each other! But we whisk on by them. Even though Hybern is dead, it still looks like Feyre and Friends might lose the war.
Feyre sees that Rhys is being injured and she’s able to come back to herself…where Amren is slapping her and shouting at her to fight it. So I guess Amren didn’t really betray Feyre (huge shocker).
Feyre tells Amren she’s going to kill her, and Amren is like, “Yup, you have to kill me, and you also need to be the conduit.” So I guess that’s the real plan??
“The Suriel—it gave you a message. For me. Only me.”
My brows narrowed.
Amren said, “The answer in the Book was no spell of control. I lied about that. It was … an unbinding spell. For me.”
Feyre is going to unbind Amren with the Cauldron’s power so Amren can wipe them all away. Amren’s boyfriend Varian shows up randomly to beg her not to do this. But Amren gives a speech about what a gift this has all been and refuses to have her mind changed.
She tells Varian she learned to fall in love with him and I’m like ??? we saw them kiss like twice, but okay. Amren tells Feyre she’s glad they met, and then she jumped into the Cauldron. Oh, and she also warns Feyre not to run or it’ll attract her attention.
Amren is unleashed in her true form, and apparently can’t recognise her friends but knows to attack the enemies…because they are running? It doesn’t really add up.
She flies around and instantly wins the war for them, and then after doing that I think it’s implied she is completely gone.