Chapter 137

Imogen fights from dragonback during the siege of Draithus, coordinating with other riders to defend the city walls. When dark wielders target the armory tower where Quinn is working, Imogen dismounts to intercept them, but Quinn is mortally wounded by a venin's blade while saving evacuating civilians. Quinn dies in Imogen's arms on the tower stairs.

The chapter opens with Imogen riding Glane in aerial combat above the burning city of Draithus, tracking wyvern kills and monitoring weapon supplies relayed from Quinn in the armory turret. As the battle intensifies, two dark wielders approach the tower from different directions, prompting Imogen to dismount and race toward them on foot. She and Aetos confront one venin; when he unleashes fire, Imogen channels power through a connection to her childhood home to turn a shield to stone, protecting them both. Aetos kills the first dark wielder with a dagger throw. Imogen reaches the tower to find Quinn projecting multiple illusions of herself while fighting a second venin in the stairwell. As Imogen throws her dagger at the venin, Quinn lunges with her own blade. The venin retaliates, driving his weapon into Quinn's chest near her heart before dying from the combined strikes. Quinn confirms the evacuating civilians made it safely, then accepts her death with characteristic calm. She asks Imogen to tell Jax—her partner—that Jax was the best part of her life, and to tell her parents her death was worth it. Quinn dies in Imogen's arms. Garrick arrives moments later, exhausted from using magic, and helps Imogen carry Quinn's body to a building where Professor Trissa and Felix are working. Dark wielders are draining power from the city walls, forcing the group to adapt their strategy. Imogen exits to find the battle raging—Bodhi retching across the square, Cruth fighting wyvern, houses burning. Garrick states he cannot retreat to Aretia as he lacks the strength to return, so he will find another way to fight. Imogen collects Quinn's remaining dagger and prepares riders to disarm the alloy-hilted weapons for redistribution.