Chapter 30

Raeve pursues Líri into a Moonplume burrow high on a mountain, finding the dragon exhausted and furious after being abandoned. Kaan reveals that Líri nearly died without Raeve's care and is now channeling her grief into anger. Rather than fight, Líri instead builds a nesting perch above the village below—a sign of her wounded independence—forcing Raeve to confront what the dragon truly needs.

Raeve climbs a treacherous mountain path past Moltenmaw burrows to reach the high shelf where Rygun delivered Líri. She encounters three exhausted riders fleeing the Moonplume's burrow, one bearing fresh claw wounds; they warn her Líri is wild and lethal. Raeve enters the burrow cautiously and finds Líri trembling, defensive, and burning with fury. When Raeve advances, Kaan suddenly pulls her back as Líri charges. Kaan explains that by abandoning Líri after showing her kindness, Raeve left the dragon—who was near death when rescued—devastated and lonely again. He reveals that dragons don't seek vengeance like bloodlusting fae; some simply crave love. Líri then launches skyward and hovers above the village below, initially seeming poised to destroy it. Instead, she begins exhaling white flame to construct a hexagonal nesting perch—a high structure that mirrors those in her own den, placing herself beyond Raeve's reach. Watching the saddle still clamped to Líri's back, Raeve realizes the dragon has spent her life bound by command and near-death; true care means offering choice, not control. Raeve resolves on a dangerous, undefined plan and prepares to hunt, knowing Moonplumes hear keenly.