Chapter Forty-Nine

Violet and her squad face a catastrophic moment when Luella falls from a cliff while fleeing a trap, followed by the shocking appearance of wyverns that kill Cibbelair. Violet dislocates her shoulder but pushes forward to mount Tairn and use his power to destroy four riderless wyverns with lightning, though the group realizes the venin now know their location and that fliers are being moved into Tyrrendor.

The chapter opens with Luella slipping from Violet's grasp and falling into the mist below while fleeing from a trap, causing her gryphon Cibbelair to spiral into despair. Cat initially blames Violet, but Maren intervenes. Violet's shoulder is dislocated; Dain pops it back into place despite her pain. As Brennan arrives to treat Ridoc's arrow wounds, a massive wyvern emerges from the mist and snatches Cibbelair from the cliff. The group realizes they face multiple wyverns and cannot see them clearly in the cloud cover. Violet coordinates a strategy: wind wielders will clear the clouds from the path while she and Tairn engage the wyverns. Dain initially objects to her going while injured, but she insists and mounts Tairn despite her dislocated shoulder. In the air, Violet discovers there are four riderless wyverns and realizes they are created beings powered by dark magic. She convinces Tairn to attempt using conduit lightning; by opening herself to Tairn's power and channeling it downward, she creates lightning that targets the wyverns' dark energy, killing all four. The group is relieved that Ridoc survives, but the realization dawns that the venin now know their location and are aware that fliers are being moved into Tyrrendor—meaning the riders have become prime targets for draining.