Chapter 115

Violet and Tairn are attacked by wyvern near Dunne's temple while protecting its priestess and attendants. Theophanie appears and nearly captures Violet before fleeing in terror from something in the sky. Xaden arrives to help defend the temple, using shadow magic to stop falling debris, but the revelation that Leothan and the irids have activated the wardstone signals a major escalation of the conflict.

Violet and Tairn arrive at Dunne's temple in the prairie where Andarna has been stationed by Prince Aaric to protect it. Tairn is injured when a wyvern's wingspur embeds in his thigh; Rhiannon uses her retrieval magic to extract it. As more wyvern approach, Violet realizes they cannot flee without abandoning the temple's priestess and attendants to danger. Theophanie arrives at the temple steps, threatening to kill everyone unless Violet surrenders. The high priestess reveals she recognizes Theophanie as a heretic—a former priestess of Dunne—and attacks her. Theophanie is accompanied by two venin in red robes. When Andarna attacks Theophanie with fire, it has no effect, and Theophanie suddenly flees in fear after seeing something in the sky. Violet then faces four descending wyvern; she successfully strikes the first with lightning, but the remaining three fall from the sky as if by external force. During the chaotic battle with the falling wyvern bodies, Xaden arrives and uses shadow magic to stop debris from the temple's collapsing pillar. He confirms the wards have been activated, explaining why the wyvern fell. Leothan, a dragon with scales between black and purple, emerges from the darkness and reveals he fired the wardstone, indicating the irids have joined the conflict.