Under the Mountain, Into the Dark
Day 6 marks Feyre’s descent into the heart of darkness—both literally and emotionally. The Spring Court lies in ruins, and the truth she uncovers is more devastating than any blight. Amarantha isn’t just a looming threat; she is the blight. The curse, the masks, the twisted politics of Prythian all trace back to her. And Feyre? She was the one who could’ve stopped it all… if only she’d said “I love you” in time.
Secrets, Sacrifice, and the Curse’s Clock
Feyre returns to find the Spring Court hollowed out, its beauty stripped bare. Alys, one of the few remaining souls, reveals the full scope of Amarantha’s cruelty. Tamlin’s family had ties to Hybern, and Tamlin himself knows Amarantha personally. Lucien’s missing eye? A brutal punishment from her hand. Then comes the truth about the curse: Feyre had to tell Tamlin she loved him—genuinely, wholeheartedly—and he only had three days left when he let her go. The masks weren’t just symbolic; they were meant to obscure Tamlin’s beauty, a twisted detail in Amarantha’s game. With her resolve hardening, Feyre convinces Alys to take her Under the Mountain. What she plans to do there is still unclear, but her heart is set.
The Riddle, the Ring & the Ruin
Feyre infiltrates Amarantha’s court but is swiftly captured by the Attor and dragged to the throne room. Tamlin sits beside Amarantha, silent and cold. The sight of Clare Beddor’s mutilated body is a grotesque warning—Amarantha’s cruelty knows no bounds.
We learn that the finger bone necklace and eyeball ring Amarantha wears belong to Jurian, whose consciousness she has imprisoned through dark magic.
Jurian’s story is a bit complicated. According to Alys, Jurian was Amarantha’s sister, Clythia lover. Jurian betrayed Clythia, tortured her and spread her remains far and wide. Amarantha already hated humans with a passion. Jurian only made it worse.
Amarantha offers Feyre a choice: complete three tasks of her choosing, or solve a riddle that would break Tamlin’s curse instantly. But if she answers incorrectly… Clare’s fate will be hers. Each task will take place on the full moon of each month. Feyre accepts. The Attor beats her mercilessly and throws her into the dungeon.
There are those who seek me a lifetime but never we meet,
And those I kiss but who trample me beneath ungrateful feet.
At times I seem to favor the clever and the fair,
But I bless all those who are brave enough to dare.
By large, my ministrations are soft-handed and sweet,
But scorned, I become a difficult beast to defeat.
For though each of my strikes lands a powerful blow,
When I kill, I do it slow…
What was your first guess at Amarantha’s riddle? Did you free Tamlin and his court?
Pain, Power & Rhysand’s Play
Lucien, risking everything, sneaks into her cell and heals her injuries. When Feyre is summoned to the throne room again, Amarantha demands her name. Rhysand was the one who gave Amarantha Clare’s name and identified Clare as Feyre. Amarantha commands that he uses his power to torture Lucien in an attempt to extract Feyre’s identity. The tension between Rhysand and Amarantha is palpable—he’s clearly playing a deeper game.
Trial One: The Middengard Wyrm
The first trial arrives, and it’s nothing short of horrific. Feyre is thrown into a reeking labyrinth with a monstrous, man-eating wyrm called the Middengard. The crowd bets on her survival, and only one person wins: Rhysand. Feyre survives the trial, but barely. Infection sets in, threatening to finish what the worm couldn’t.
A Tattooed Bargain
Rhysand appears in her cell and offers yet another bargain. In exchange for healing her broken arm and bring her back from the brink of death, Feyre must spend one week per month with him at the Night Court. Desperate and dying, she agrees. A tattoo seals the deal, inked permanently on her arm. Tamlin’s reaction to this new mark? We can only imagine the fury.
Final Thoughts
Day 6 plunges us into the heart of ACOTAR’s darkest arc yet. Feyre’s journey shifts from romantic tension to raw survival, and the stakes are no longer symbolic—they’re brutal, bloody, and deeply personal. The revelations about Tamlin’s past, Amarantha’s cruelty, and Feyre’s role in the curse reframe everything we thought we knew.
But what lingers most is Feyre’s resilience. She’s battered, broken, and bargaining with shadows, yet she refuses to give up. Her silence may have cost lives, but her courage might still save them. And Rhysand? His presence is unsettling, strategic, and strangely protective. The Night Court bargain may be a trap—or a lifeline.
As we head into the next chapters, one thing is clear: Feyre is no longer just a mortal girl in a fae world. She’s a player in a deadly game, and the board is shifting beneath her feet.
Tag your comments with #ACOTARBuddyRead and let’s keep the magic burning.
