Chapter 16.
We’re back in the flight field and the Generals are arguing about Violet bonding 2 dragons. Funnily enough, it’s not their concern, it’s up to the Empyrean, the dragon leadership. We find out that Jack’s running away allowed him to not only survive but to bond with an orange scorpion tail. Jack is jelly that Violet has bonded with Tairn. Dain does the dick-dain thing again and tries to force Violet to choose between dragons, even seemingly ordering her to choose Andarna. The longer this goes on the more dickish Dain acts. He accuses Xaden of manipulating threshing and Xaden has play a card that deals a blow to Dain. Xaden spouts off in defense of Vi and then asks Dain if he would’ve bent the rules to protect Vi and Dain like an asshat says no. So now Dain is on the outs and Xaden is on the ins? Because Tairn and Sgayel are mated, Xaden’s survival is chained to Violet’s. We get our first taste of Dain’s lips and Vi nets one of the coolest markings ever!
Chapter 17.
Welcome to the morning after, and Rhi ups her body count with Sawyer for funsies. We hear the fall out of Dain’s kiss and it’s lack luster. The result of threshing is a remarkable powershift. All of a sudden Vi is the feared one, Jack has fallen from grace, and the Xaden can’t kill Violet, he has to keep her alive. That means that Violet has to trust the marked ones, including Imogen. Tairn reminds her that she’s worthy. Dain addresses the “kiss” and tells Vi that it’s frowned upon to have a relationship with anyone in our chain of command. #policyboy. And now we have frenemies, as Imogen is tasked with training Violet.
Chapter 18.
Violet gets reassigned to make the archive run for her squad. She gets to see some old friends in the archives, specifically Jessinia. She finally comes to terms with the idea that the rider’s quadrant is her new home. Sawyer’s signet manifests, and we hear a bit more about how they develop and what happens if they don’t. Violet’s figuring out that she’s never alone as her scalp starts to tingle again only to find Xadey Pants is looking her way. Tairn issues a standing warning to dickhead Dain. Then She lays into DD and rips him a new one. We’re also introduced to an inntinsic as Xaden indirectly teaches Violet how to protect her thoughts. Then Professor Carr pops up to end the cadet’s life with a swift neck snap. Violet is deemed #1 target for unbonded riders and finds herself in the midst of a 2 am attack.
Chapter 19.
We pick up where we left off in Violet’s room. There’s some confusion as to what just happened to buy Vi some time. But tada!!! Xadey Pants has arrived and is ready to bat cleanup making quick work of the attackers. Xaden examines and assesses Violet before marching her through a secret tunnel to the flight field. Xaden tells her that he’s not going to baby her like DD. Xaden’s organized a meeting with their dragons to figure out what happened. Turns out that Ardarna’s just a baby and gave Vi the power to pause time. #secretsuperpower. We find out that Xaden can talk to Sgayel and Tairn but can’t hear Andarna.
Chapter 20.
Violet compares Xaden to the most effective poison in a pretty bottle. Xaden brings extra protection for Violet. Then Xaden goes all in and accuses a wingleader of orchestrating the attack. Dain commands Violet to put a stop to and adds that Wingleaders are beyond reproach. Then he orders her to give him the memory. Violet lets sDD know that touching her without permission will end badly for him. Violet asks Tairn to share her memory with the other dragons. They find Amber guilty, and she’s left in a pile of ashes.