AFTERWORD

Chapter 57

Chapter Sixty-Two

Overview

Violet and her riot meet Melgren and the Navarrian leadership at Athebyne to discuss their refusal to aid Navarre. Melgren reveals that Samara will fall to dark wielders on solstice, but Brennan—revealed to be alive—leads the Assembly in rejecting the alliance and declaring war instead. Violet's mother gives her a Morainian journal warning that their wards are failing and will eventually collapse entirely.

Summary

Violet arrives at Athebyne with ten dragons, ten riders, and Xaden to meet Melgren's delegation. She carries unresolved tension with Xaden over his past use of his signet to read her intentions. Melgren arrives with Violet's mother and six other Navarrian riders, plus five dragons including his massive black dragon Codagh. The general attempts to recruit them to defend Samara, claiming he has foreseen the outpost's fall to dark wielders on solstice. He threatens that without their help, Navarre will lose, and offers recognition of Aretia's independence and an end to conscription in exchange for their aid. Ulices refuses the offer, calling Navarre hypocritical for never helping others. When Melgren presses, Brennan—Violet's father, thought dead—emerges from the trees and speaks for the Assembly's quorum, rejecting the alliance entirely and declaring that Navarre deserves its fate for abandoning the Continent. Xaden concurs, sardonically noting Navarre severed ties with its ancient allies centuries ago. After Melgren and his forces depart, Violet's mother privately warns her daughters that the wards Warrick designed are fundamentally flawed and will fail over time—Warrick apparently intended Navarre to hold exclusive power over them. She gives Violet a journal in Morainian, a language Violet cannot read, and departs. During the flight home, Violet and Mira examine a wyvern carcass and discover it contains a marked onyx stone with a rune that is actively humming. When the second wyvern's eye opens in response, Violet unleashes lightning through Tairn's power, killing it. The revelation that dark wielders appear to be using runes to create or control wyvern raises new questions about what Warrick lied about, forcing Violet to rely on Jesinia to translate the Morainian journal.

Characters

  • Violet SorrengailProtagonist who attends the meeting, witnesses her father's revelation, receives her mother's warning about failing wards, and discovers runes embedded in wyvern carcasses
  • Xaden RiorsonViolet's partner who reads the intentions of Navarrian riders, helps defend against Melgren's captain, and supports the Assembly's rejection of Navarre
  • TairnViolet's dragon who provides commentary, maintains shields to hide the hidden dragons, and grants Violet lightning power to kill a wyvern
  • Mira SorrengailViolet's sister who attends the meeting, supports the Assembly's decision, and helps examine the wyvern carcasses
  • Brennan SorrengailViolet's father, revealed to be alive, who emerges to speak for the Assembly's quorum and declares war against Navarre
  • Augustine MelgrenGeneral leading the Navarrian delegation who attempts to recruit the riot to defend Samara, reveals his foresight of the outpost's fall, and threatens that the assembly are now enemies
  • Violet's MotherNavarrian general who arrives with Melgren, shows signs of exhaustion and emotional conflict, privately warns Violet about the failing wards, and gives her a Morainian journal before departing
  • UlicesAssembly member who rejects Melgren's offer and declares Navarre doesn't deserve aid for abandoning others
  • CodaghMelgren's massive black dragon who displays hostility and guards his rider's departure
  • AimsirViolet's mother's dragon who follows Codagh into the clearing
  • SgaeylXaden's dragon whose positioning reflects tension between her and Tairn
  • FannUlices's Green Swordtail dragon
  • TeineA dragon in the riot's formation
  • DainMentioned as having worked with Violet in the library studying Warrick's journal
  • JesiniaMentioned as joining the library study session; will be needed to translate the Morainian journal
  • Colonel FremontNavarrian air wielder identified as a powerful threat who can suffocate opponents
  • SawyerMentioned as being smitten with Jesinia
  • Cat, Maren, and TragerMentioned as supporting the library study effort
  • AndarnaMentioned as having refused to travel and cursed at Tairn in anger
  • WarrickHistorical figure whose journal Violet has been studying; revealed to have designed flawed wards intentionally to maintain Navarre's advantage
  • LyraHistorical figure mentioned as believing Warrick's knowledge should be shared
  • King TauriMentioned as having given Melgren his word regarding respect for Aretia's independence