Healing, Power, and the First Threads of Trust

Day 2

Chapters 9-16

The Library Isn’t a Cage

The more I think about Nesta’s time and experiences in the library, the more it feels like a quiet intervention. It’s not to punish her, but to help her heal. She’s surrounded by women who’ve endured unimaginable trauma. I believe it’s supposed to get her to see that healing is possible, and that it doesn’t have to be self-destructive.

The Shield and the Secrets

Nesta’s grief doesn’t soften. Her father’s death isn’t a balm or a redemption arc for her. It’s another wound. One more reminder that he showed up for everyone but her. That his final act of bravery was a performance she never got to witness.

But something else is happening beneath the surface, literally. Nesta has been suppressing her magic.

Meanwhile, Rhys’s shield around Feyre is raising eyebrows in our reading group . This isn’t just a protective bubble. It’s a full sensory lockdown. Even her scent is hidden. Training exercise? Please. There’s something deeper here. Something Rhys and Feyre isn’t saying. And the secrecy is starting to feel less like strategy and more like fear.

And then there’s Cassian. Nesta has made it very clear she’s not setting foot in that miserable village again. So what does he do? He changes the location. Classic Cassian—stubborn, strategic, and maybe a little sneaky. But it begs the question: is this compromise or manipulation? Is he meeting her halfway, or dragging her forward?

Bargains and Tattoos

Cassian’s workaround for the miserable village training? A change of location, to the training rings at the House of Wind, a bargain. And matching tattoos. Cassian’s back tattoo. Yum. Nesta finally has a training session that doesn’t feel like punishment.

Poll Break:

Which member of the Inner Circle would cause the most drama at a mortal wedding?

• Cassian – Loud toast, shirt off by dessert, challenges the groom to arm wrestling

• Mor – Flirts with everyone, starts the dance floor riot, disappears with the DJ

• Azriel – Broods in the corner, accidentally seduces half the bridal party

• Amren – Critiques the ceremony, steals the centerpiece, eats the cake with her bare hands

• Rhysand – Gives a speech so emotionally manipulative the bride reconsiders

• Feyre – Paints the guests mid-reception, ends up officiating the vows somehow

Drop your vote and your chaos theories in the comments.

Gwyn, Valkyries, and the Power Question

When Gwyn catches Nesta struggling to shelve a book on a towering shelf, she doesn’t offer help—she asks a question: Why aren’t you using your power? It’s a moment that quietly underscores a larger truth—Nesta is still suppressing the very force that could reshape her path.

Enter Merrill’s research on the Valkyries, which deepens the emotional and mythic layers of Nesta’s arc. Could she be destined to revive this ancient sisterhood and rise as their leader? The Valkyrie journey unfolds in three stages: Novice, Blade, and finally, Valkyrie. Fittingly, the book itself mirrors this transformation, divided into three parts that echo the progression. And yes—Part One is titled Novice.

The question isn’t just about shelving a book. It’s about whether Nesta will finally reach for the power that’s been waiting within her all along.

Gwyn catches Nesta trying to shelve a book on a particularly high shelf and asks why she isn’t using her power. Another point made that Nesta is suppressing her power. Merrill’s research into Valkyries adds another layer of Nesta’s story arch. Is she going to revive the Valkyries and rise to be their leader? The stages of becoming a Valkyrie are Novice, Blade and finally Valkyrie. The book is broken up into three sections: Novice, Blade, Valkyrie. And yes, Part One of this book is titled Novice.

Spring Court Shadows

Rhys, Cassian, and Eris meet at the crumbling Spring Court. Tamlin is more beast than man now, and Beron’s interest in Spring raises alarms. But it’s Eris’s comment about Mor that lingers. What they thought they knew might be wrong, and she is aware of the truth.

Nesta’s bond with the House deepens. It pampers her, listens to her, sees her. It’s the first place that feels safe.

Priestesses and Possibility

Nesta asks Cassian to train the priestesses. He agrees. And just like that, my theory begins to take shape. The Rise of the Valkyries.

Final Thoughts & Engagement

Nesta’s journey in these chapters is a slow burn of self-awareness, grief, and reluctant growth. Let’s spiral deeper:

• Does being around others who’ve suffered help Nesta begin to see herself more clearly—or does it deepen her isolation?

• What do you think Rhys is hiding with that shield around Feyre?

• What does Nesta’s refusal to use her power say about her emotional state? Is it fear, guilt, or something else?

• Is Nesta ready to become something more than broken? What does the Valkyrie path symbolize for her?

• What do you make of Eris’s hints about Mor? Is truth finally surfacing?

• Is the House a reflection of Nesta’s healing, or is it guiding her toward it?

• Was this the moment you started to believe in Nesta’s growth? Or are you still holding back?

Poll:

What feels like the biggest turning point for Nesta in Chapters 9–16?

• 🧘 Finding quiet strength in the library

• 🖋 Bargaining with Cassian

• 🗡 Learning about Valkyrie training

• 🏠 Feeling seen by the House

• 🗣 Asking Cassian to train the priestesses

Nesta’s journey is layered, messy, and quietly powerful, and this group of chapters gives us so much to spiral over. From the library’s quiet intervention to Rhys’s suspicious shield on Feyre, from Cassian’s tattooed bargains to the rise of the Valkyries… it’s all happening.

Drop your thoughts, theories, and chaos in the comments. Let’s keep the buddy read burning. 🔥