Chapter Fifty-Nine

Violet and her companions face Solas in a deadly cave battle. After a devastating dragonfire blast, Violet discovers Sloane's newly manifested signet as a siphon while fighting to keep everyone alive. Andarna ultimately kills Solas with a poisoned barb, but the victory comes at great cost, and tensions explode between Violet and Xaden over her choices.

The chapter opens mid-combat as Violet, Cat, Kiralair, and Sloane are attacked by the dragon Solas in a cave. Andarna shields them from his initial dragonfire blast, her wings protecting them as the heat nearly kills them all. Cat helps extinguish flames on Kira's wing while Andarna confronts Solas, only to be batted aside brutally into Visia's charred remains. Violet channels Tairn's power to wield, but cannot safely cast in the confined space. She discovers Cat is mysteriously draining power from those around her—Sloane's newly manifested signet ability as a siphon. Violet throws knives at Solas, blinding one eye, creating an opening for Cat and Sloane to escape with Kiralair. Cat remains behind, providing covering fire with arrows. Violet fights on, ramming a broken conduit—her only weapon—into the joint between Solas's scales and channeling lightning through it while Andarna attacks. Solas's tail strikes Violet unconscious; she is dragged from the cave by Sloane, who has accidentally drained Violet's power and fears she is becoming venin. Andarna emerges victorious, having killed Solas with her poisoned barb. Afterward, Xaden arrives at their quarters furious—not about Solas, but that Violet saved Cat's life. He is horrified to learn she did so partly to prevent Cat's death from triggering his execution, revealing he would rather face those consequences than have Violet put herself at risk. Their argument escalates as Xaden alludes to a mysterious deal he made with Violet's mother.