Chapter Fifty-Three

Violet and her squad travel through Matyas, Deverelli's capital city, to locate a rare book dealer named Narelle. Upon arrival at the bookshop Tomes and Tales, they are ambushed by armed assailants protecting the shop, leading to a brief combat encounter. Xaden reveals unexpected gentleness and flirtation throughout the journey, contrasting sharply with his usual demeanor.

The chapter opens with Violet's squad riding through the tree-canopied streets of Matyas toward the palace. Xaden displays an unusually relaxed, even flirtatious demeanor—asking Violet about riding as a child and delivering romantic remarks that leave her flustered. The group navigates through the bustling marketplace district, where they encounter hostility from locals who call them "fire-bringers." Xaden and Dain visit a cloth merchant and acquire information about a rare book dealer two streets uphill. At Tomes and Tales bookshop, Xaden and Dain secure the location through gemstone trade. Upon entering, Violet approaches the shopkeeper asking for someone named Narelle, which triggers an attack from two armed assailants hidden in the back stacks—a woman and a man in a white-and-gold tunic. Xaden intervenes by kicking a chair into the attacker's path, and Violet strikes the man with a thrown dagger. Mira defeats her attacker with a punch. Dain keeps other customers at bay and they flee. During the confrontation, Xaden makes an unusual comment about being prepared to kill the assailant for targeting Violet, framing it as a diplomatic statement. The shopkeeper's mother, an elderly woman named Narelle, descends the stairs. She identifies Violet as Asher Sorrengail's daughter and reveals she possesses books that Asher wrote specifically for Violet, causing Violet's heart to stop.