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Summary: Chapters 58–61
Chapter 58
Violet has been trying to convince Brennan to let them aid Samara but he will not budge. Xaden returns from a patrol and sends Violet a note asking her to meet him in the gym, where the couple spars while they establish some rules for their relationship, chief among them being that Violet wants mutual full disclosure. She wants them both to tell each other things and not rely on the other person to ask about it first. Xaden agrees, promising not to withhold information because he knows that it affects her agency. He only asks for Violet to promise that she will never leave without allowing them to talk things through. Violet assures him that she is not going anywhere and that she loves him. She asks about Xaden’s mother and learns that she left when Xaden was ten years old. Xaden then tells her that his second signet manifested about a month after his first, and that he knew that it was a death sentence. Sgaeyl helped him learn to control it and they kept it a secret. Xaden concedes that the secret was easier to keep because many thought that it was his great-uncle and not his grandfather who was bonded to Sgaeyl.
Later, Violet attends Battle Brief and some of the cadets want to know why they aren’t going to defend Samara. Brennen doesn’t want to risk the riders and asks the cadets what they would do if they were Melgren. This causes Violet to have an epiphany and she leaves the room in a hurry. She finds Xaden and explains that the venin are actually going to attack Basgiath; they’re waiting until all of the wards are down to attack Samara. If they leave innocent people to die, they will be no better than the Navarre military. Xaden says he will explain everything to the Assembly, but that he is committed to flying to Basgiath to fight whether they are given permission or not.
Chapter 59
Violet and her squad prepare to leave for Basgiath. Andarna doesn’t want to wear her harness, but Violet explains that it is a long flight and that Tairn may need to carry her at some point. Cat and Maren are upset that the fliers cannot help because they won’t be able to wield their signets once they cross Navarre’s wards. Maren gives Violet a small crossbow and a sheath of maorsite arrows to use in an emergency. Xaden arrives with news; the Assembly voted against helping Basgiath.
Those who are willing to help regardless head for the war college. When they arrive, Violet convinces her mother to let them inspect the wardstone. They head towards it and discover that the guards protecting it have been killed. They arrive and barely have time to process the flaming wardstone when a dragon emerges from behind it and tries to kill them all. Ridoc uses his ice-wielding signet to block the flames; the group realizes that the dragon is Baide, and that Jack Barlowe is riding on her back. They all attempt to fight Jack but are unable to get to him. He takes his sword, kills his own dragon, and spills her blood on the wardstone, extinguishing the flame. Violet throws a dagger at Jack, but it is too late—the wards have fallen.
Chapter 60
Having killed his own dragon, Jack is on the brink of death. Xaden attempts to question him before he dies, and the group realizes he turned venin prior to his “death” the previous year. Looking back, Violet recalls that Jack’s eyes have been red and bloodshot for a while—a signature trait of venin. Jack then boasts that the venin army is on its way, and that Jack planted weapons all over the college. Dain charges and grabs Jack to read his memories; Jack tries to drain Dain, but is knocked out by Xaden.
Dain gathers the 119 cadets that still reside at Basgiath, along with the riders from Aretia, for Battle Brief. He tells them what he learned from reading Jack’s memories: the venin army knows where they are because Jack planted rune lures all over the college and up the path to the Vale, the dragons’ hatching grounds. Everyone argues about battle tactics, and Violet insists to her mother that someone needs to be guarding the wardstone at all times. Her mother, however, does not agree.
In the early hours of the next morning, Violet and Xaden are tempted to run away together, but they know that they could never live with themselves if they abandoned their people. They quickly try to have sex but are interrupted by Brennan, who has come to defend Basgiath with a hoard of fliers who are going to look for the lures. Violet is thrilled that her brother did not abandon them and asks if he thinks that he could use his mending ability to fix the wardstone.
Chapter 61
Violet and her squad position themselves, preparing to defend the airspace above the wardstone. Violet’s mother uses her signet to create a storm which will help to amplify Violet’s abilities. They all spot a massive horde of wyvern flying toward them and Violet waits until they are about to pass under a storm cloud before she lights up the sky with lightning, killing several wyvern. Unfortunately, incoming wyvern notice her tactic and alter their course to avoid the danger zone. Violet and Tairn fly to meet the army head-on, and Violet uses her conduit to kill a venin and its wyvern but is horrified to see that a second wave is approaching. In the midst of battle, a venin jumps from its wyvern onto Tairn’s back, claiming their Sage wants Violet. Violet is stuck in her saddle and unable to defend herself when suddenly Rhiannon jumps from her dragon onto Tairn to defend her friend.
