Chapter Sixty

Violet and Xaden have a heated confrontation about trust, secrets, and his refusal to volunteer information. Their argument escalates when Violet asks about Xaden's second signet—a question that shocks him—before they're interrupted by news of a wyvern horde approaching from Pavis toward the cliffs.

Violet confronts Xaden about knowing he kept secrets from her for months, including his deal with her mother that resulted in the scars on his back. Xaden insists she should ask him directly rather than expect him to volunteer information, turning the blame back on her for not demanding answers. Violet counters that she cannot know what questions to ask when he refuses to be openly truthful. Xaden argues she has not fully trusted him despite loving him, and uses an analogy about battle-axes in armoires to test her trust—he reveals a hidden dagger in their shared armoire that his shadows can summon. During their argument, Violet accuses herself of loving Xaden obsessively rather than rationally, fearing the only reason he kept her alive early on was due to his deal with her mother. The confrontation reaches a climax when Violet asks Xaden point-blank about his second signet, noting that as a direct descendant of Sgaeyl's former bond, he should either have one or face madness. The question visibly shocks him and he puts on a mask, refusing to answer. They are interrupted by Brennan pounding on the door with urgent news: a horde of wyvern has been spotted flying from Pavis toward the cliffs, requiring immediate action to raise the ward defenses.