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Summary: Chapters 54–57
Chapter 54
Violet spends three days in a deep depression, mourning the loss of Andarna. Xaden and Tairn do their best to take care of her, but Violet is debilitated by her grief. On the fourth day, Mira arrives in Aretia and tells Violet she needs to get out of bed. Violet finally manages to do so, and Xaden helps her bathe while Mira and Brennan talk in Violet and Xaden’s bedroom.
When Violet emerges, she hears Mira and Brennan arguing over the gap in their mother’s diary that covers the time when she left Mira and Brennan with their paternal grandmother during the time Violet was a toddler. Mira believes their parents tried to dedicate Violet to Dunne. This would explain why their grandmother stopped speaking to their parents afterwards—it’s illegal in Navarre for parents to dedicate children in the service of a deity. The decision to serve the gods for life is supposed to be made after one reaches the age of maturation and of one’s own free will.
Violet recalls that the Unnbrish high priestess told her that it was a good thing her dedication was never complete, and realizes her father tried to take her there, explaining her partially silver hair. Brennan admits that parents sometimes dedicated children who were sickly or weak because they thought the gods could help them, and Violet is hurt that her father tried to “fix” her. Mira has done research and believes the priestess wouldn’t accept Violet because her future was still uncertain, and that Violet would “turn” if she chose a certain path. Mira elaborates and says the priestess predicted that the heart that “beats for [Violet]” might “do the wrong thing for the right reason, reach for unspeakable power, and turn dark.” She thinks this is referencing Violet’s own heart, but Xaden interrupts and says his heart beats for Violet; the priestess’s prediction was not about her, but about him. Mira is angry that, once again, people have been keeping things from her.
Chapter 55
Two days later, Mira still has not said anything about Xaden’s situation, but she is also not speaking to Violet. Navarre is on the precipice of declaring war on Tyrrendor because Xaden accepted Poromish refugees, but they have not struck yet. Violet tries to catch up in Trissa’s rune class; she is struggling worse than ever because she missed several classes and because she can no longer use Andarna’s more delicate magic. Quinn attempts to help, suggesting that Violet be rougher with the strands of magic because it will be easier to manipulate Tairn's power that way, and Violet improves slightly. She resumes her signet training with Felix, pushing herself to her limits, and Brennan repeatedly has to mend her.
Xaden and Bodhi return from a patrol. They are in the middle of an argument—Bodhi wants to drop out of school to fight, and Xaden won’t let him. Bodhi says Xaden is just training him to be his replacement, and Violet realizes Xaden is preparing for the end. She confronts Xaden about this and he says he has not given up completely, but that he must prepare for the inevitable.
Chapter 56
Violet is once again in Xaden’s dream with the venin Sage but, for the first time, she is able to recognize that she is in a dream. As a result, she is able to speak to Xaden and influence what is happening. She realizes that pain helps her wake up, so she manifests a dagger and stabs herself. She then wakes Xaden, and he’s beginning to calm down when Garrick bangs on their door. He was on patrol and was injured by Theophanie. She let him live and sent him to deliver a message: venin have reached Draithus (the coastal Poromish city bordering Tyrrendor), and Xaden needs to bring Bodhi and Violet to her, or she will kill Mira.
Chapter 57
The Assembly debates what to do—they are gravely outnumbered and will have a difficult time saving Mira, let alone defending Draithus. Brennan doesn’t want the cadets to fight, but Xaden says their lack of numbers demands it. However, he is only willing to take volunteers and will not let any first-years join them. Xaden asks Garrick to repeat Theophanie’s message, and he says she wants Xaden to bring Violet and “his brother,” or else Mira will die. Garrick assumed that the brother in question is Bodhi, since he and Xaden are cousins who were raised together, but Violet and Xaden realize she means Jack—his brother and fellow venin. Violet, Xaden, and Brennan discuss a plan. Brennan thinks it’s a trap; Theophanie knows Violet will try to save Mira and the Poromish civilians and will likely die in the process. He orders Violet to pick one objective and stick to it, and Violet chooses killing Theophanie.
