BOOK 2 : IRON FLAME

EXPLORE MORE SERIES RECAPS

ACOTAR SERIES

CRESCENT CITY SERIES

BLOOD AND ASH SERIES

FLESH AND FIRE SERIES

THE EMPYREAN SERIES

BOOK 2: IRON FLAME

Summary of Iron Flame (Empyrean #2) by Rebecca Yarros

After surviving her brutal first year at Basgiath War College, Violet Sorrengail faces even greater challenges as a second-year rider. With war looming on all fronts and the truth about Navarre's lies exposed, Violet must navigate not just the deadly training of the Riders Quadrant but also the political games that threaten to destroy everything she loves.

Physically battered but mentally sharper, Violet struggles with the toll her fragile body is taking and the impossible expectations placed on her. Meanwhile, tensions with Xaden Riorson reach a boiling point as secrets and divided loyalties test their fragile bond. Trust becomes a rare commodity, and betrayal lurks around every corner.

Armed with her dragons, Tairn and Andarna, and supported by loyal friends like Rhiannon, Violet discovers the war is far bigger and more dangerous than anyone imagined. She must embrace her growing power, forge unexpected alliances, and outwit enemies both within Basgiath and beyond. The stakes are no longer just survival — they’re the future of their entire world.

In a heart-stopping finale, Violet is forced to make unimaginable sacrifices and confront who she truly is... and who she is willing to become to save the ones she loves.

Themes & Highlights:

🔥 Dragons & Rebellion: Violet leads a fight against tyranny while deepening her bond with her dragons.
⚔️ War & Sacrifice: Nonstop battles, betrayals, and devastating consequences.
❤️ Love & Loyalty: Violet and Xaden’s relationship is tested to its breaking point.
🕵️ Truth & Power: New abilities emerge as old lies unravel, reshaping the fate of Navarre.

Iron Flame delivers an even more emotional, action-packed, and gut-wrenching journey than Fourth Wing, solidifying Violet’s place as one of fantasy’s fiercest heroines and setting up a war that will change everything.

***WORLD MAP***

***Chapter Recaps***

Part One

Iron Flame – Chapter One Recap

The story picks up right after the events of Fourth Wing, with Violet Sorrengail recovering from her near-fatal injury. She’s sitting in the kitchen at Riorson House, still in shock that her brother Brennan is alive. As Violet eats the honeyed biscuits Brennan insists she have before seeing her dragons, she processes the overwhelming truths: Brennan’s survival, the existence of venin (dark wielders), and that Aretia—the stronghold of the rebellion—still stands despite Navarre’s claim that it was destroyed.

Brennan looks different — older, harder — but certain things, like his teasing smile, are reassuringly familiar. He’s now known as Lieutenant Colonel Brennan Aisereigh, having changed his surname to avoid detection after the rebellion. His promotion came rapidly because so many officers above him died during the secret war they’ve been fighting. Their bond is sweet and awkward, laden with six years of lost time.

Before Brennan can take Violet to her dragons, Bodhi (Xaden's cousin) delivers a message from Basgiath War College and Brennan is called away to an Assembly meeting. Determined not to be left behind again, Violet follows after him, taking in the grand architecture of Riorson House — a fortress carved into the mountains, both a palace and a stronghold. She’s astonished by its massive stone staircases, luxurious art, and defensive design, recognizing that its stone construction saved it from total destruction years ago.

Violet eavesdrops outside the Assembly room with Bodhi and Imogen, who explain that the meeting is open to all riders — but politically, it's best if the cadets like them stay out of direct view. Inside, she sees Brennan standing alongside Xaden Riorson, who commands as much respect here as he does at Basgiath. Violet struggles with seeing Xaden’s easy authority and how well he fits into this world of rebellion—a world full of secrets he never shared with her.

The Assembly debates what to do next. There’s tension because they lack a working luminary (a device used to forge magic-infused weapons) and are running out of time — the venin threat is growing, and the wards protecting Navarre are weakening. Some suggest stealing the forge from Basgiath, but Brennan warns that would cause civilian deaths by collapsing outpost defenses.

The Assembly also discusses whether to send the eight cadets who fought at Resson — including Violet, Xaden, Imogen, Bodhi, and Garrick — back to Basgiath to avoid suspicion. Some members, like the hawk-nosed Major Ferris and the stern Suri, advocate imprisoning Violet, fearing she might expose their rebellion. They view her as a liability because of her connection to General Sorrengail.

Violet steps forward, furious at being spoken about like a pawn, and demands they address her directly. She reminds them she’s already proven herself: surviving the parapet, fighting at Resson, keeping Xaden’s secrets, and more. Despite their suspicions, Xaden defends her fiercely, declaring that Violet’s life is tied to his through their dragons, and he would have told her everything anyway.

After a tense standoff, the Assembly backs down. Violet, still seething from being treated like an object of suspicion, watches as the meeting adjourns. Xaden reassures her that the eight of them will make decisions together — not the Assembly — and encourages her to stay behind to reconnect with Brennan, who waits for her in the now-empty room.

Alone with her brother, Violet faces six years’ worth of emotions and questions, realizing that while she has found him again, nothing is the same — and their world is on the brink of even greater war.

Iron Flame – Chapter Two Recap

After the tense Assembly meeting, Violet shuts the door behind her and faces Brennan. Their reunion is emotional but strained, marked by the deep changes in both of them over six long years. Brennan apologizes for letting Violet believe he was dead, explaining that survival required secrecy. Despite the overwhelming relief that he’s alive, Violet struggles with lingering anger over being left behind.

They exchange bittersweet memories, and Brennan reveals that while Violet has changed, she looks good in the black leathers of a dragon rider. He also acknowledges the pivotal role Mira played in helping Violet survive, including gifting her the dragon-scale armor. The two discuss the missing years, and Brennan confirms that Mira still believes he’s dead.

Violet demands answers. Brennan explains that after Naolin’s sacrifice, he and his dragon Marbh were rescued by hidden dragons in the caves of the valley. They have lived among the survivors of Aretia since, secretly rebuilding their strength against Navarre's corrupted leadership.

Brennan’s reason for staying away is clear: he couldn't live under the lies perpetuated by Navarre, watching innocent civilians die while the leadership ignored the growing threat of venin. His choice came at a cost—leaving Violet and Mira to grieve him.

As Violet studies the massive war map in the hall, she sees horrifying truth: the venin are spreading like a disease, and the wards protecting Navarre are weakening. Brennan warns her that they have much less than a year to prepare — maybe only six months before the enemy strikes.

Violet’s sharp memory of childhood fables leads her to an important realization: wyvern are created, not born, by venin. Navarre seems either ignorant or unwilling to admit this terrifying truth. Worse, strange iron lures tied to Navarre have been found near battles, hinting at internal sabotage.

Brennan shares that the rebellion desperately needs a luminary to forge magic-infused weapons strong enough to kill venin. Violet, however, proposes another hope: a dormant wardstone hidden in Aretia. If the ancient art of creating new wards still exists, perhaps it can be rediscovered.

Despite Brennan’s warnings not to chase impossible solutions, Violet can’t help but wonder if the key lies in the Scribes' Archives. After all, knowledge is power, and in Navarre, it’s the scribes who control history.

Their conversation turns more personal when Brennan questions Violet’s relationship with Xaden. She bristles, refusing to open up, and Brennan immediately regrets pushing. Still, Violet realizes she must return to Basgiath — not for herself, but to protect those she left behind.

Later, in the valley near Riorson House, Violet finally sees Andarna again—and is stunned. Her once-small golden dragon is now nearly twice her size, her scales transformed into a shimmering, deep black with hints of purple. Andarna has grown into adolescence overnight, a rare and dangerous stage for dragons, marked by unpredictable tempers and loss of powers like stopping time.

As Violet and Tairn process Andarna’s sudden growth, Xaden and the others join them. The entire group — including Violet, Xaden, Bodhi, Imogen, Garrick, and three other marked cadets (Ciaran, Eya, and Masen) — must decide their next move.

Violet argues fiercely that they must return to Basgiath, despite the risk. If they stay hidden, the leadership will surely execute all cadets with rebellion relics, blaming them for their absence. Garrick and the others agree, voting overwhelmingly to return.

Xaden, while hesitant, devises a risky plan: they must leave immediately and reach Basgiath within forty-eight hours, before graduation ceremonies.

However, there's a complication. Andarna, despite her growth, is still unstable on her feet and unable to fly properly. A new flight harness must be created, and fast, if they have any hope of making it back in time.

The chapter ends with Violet steeling herself for the dangerous return to Basgiath, knowing full well that her survival—and that of her friends—depends on what they do next.

Iron Flame – Chapter Three Recap

As the sun rises over Basgiath, Violet and her group arrive at the flight field after an exhausting eighteen-hour journey from Aretia. Timing is everything—they must sneak Andarna into the Vale to ensure the safety of the hatchlings before anyone notices her sudden growth and maturity.

Flying low and clinging to the mountainous terrain, Tairn prepares Violet for a risky landing. Their banter about rolling dismounts lightens the tension, but the real focus is survival and secrecy. Tairn reminds Violet of the ancient, fragile alliance between dragons and humans: mutual protection against the venin was the only reason dragons bonded with riders in the first place, not trust or friendship.

As they land, Violet quickly dismounts, urging Tairn to take Andarna to safety in the Vale. Before flying off, Tairn warns her to be cautious—if anything goes wrong at graduation, it could cost them their lives.

Xaden approaches her as the others land and dismount, and Violet uses the brief moment alone to have a much-needed conversation. Despite their charged chemistry, Violet keeps her guard up. She confesses that speaking mentally through the bond feels too intimate now, given their fractured trust. When Xaden teases about their "intimacy," Violet sharply reminds him of the danger they’re walking into.

Violet asks an important question: Does the rebellion have any allies among the scribes? Xaden admits no—and warns her not to trust anyone at Basgiath blindly, especially not her old friends like Dain.

As they prepare to rejoin the crowd, Xaden reminds Violet she must shield her mind at all costs—especially against memory readers. Violet promises to handle Dain herself first, and only after will she allow Xaden to step in if necessary.

Their group—Xaden, Violet, Bodhi, Garrick, Imogen, Eya, Masen, and Ciaran—marches through the tunnel back to the Riders Quadrant. Tension is sky-high; any misstep could mean immediate execution.

They quickly blend into the bustling campus, with other cadets oblivious to what happened during War Games. Second Wing mocks them, believing Fourth Wing forfeited the competition, completely unaware of the true horrors at Athebyne.

Before the formalities begin, Violet and Xaden break off briefly. Violet sneaks into Liam’s empty room to retrieve the letters he had hidden—a heartbreaking task. When she sees Rhiannon and Ridoc, Violet is forced to lie, entrusting Liam's letters to Rhiannon and asking her to hide them from the inevitable burning of his belongings.

The pain of lying to her friends slices deep. Violet asks Xaden how he manages it—how he lies to those he cares about. Xaden tells her harshly that selective truths are necessary for survival, and that keeping loved ones ignorant sometimes protects them.

They hide behind the pillars of the rotunda, sharing an intense conversation. Violet demands full disclosure from Xaden going forward, refusing to accept partial truths anymore. Xaden admits that he can’t promise to share everything—as the leader of the revolution, secrets will always exist.

In a heartbreaking ultimatum, Violet tells him: “Complete honesty, or I’ll get busy unfalling for you.”
Xaden, half-smiling, warns her that unfalling in love isn’t so easy.

Their conversation is interrupted by the death bells signaling formation. Steeling themselves, the group steps out into the courtyard, ready for whatever consequences await them.

The chapter ends on a cliffhanger as Captain Fitzgibbons reads Xaden’s and Garrick’s names from the death roll—signaling that they are presumed dead.

Now, every head in the courtyard turns toward them...

Iron Flame – Chapter Four Recap

The moment of truth arrives as Violet, Xaden, and their group walk toward the dais at Basgiath. Xaden leads with powerful, confident strides while Violet forces herself to match his fearless demeanor despite her racing heart.

When they reach the dais, Captain Fitzgibbons and others are visibly shocked to see them alive. Colonel Aetos, furious, tries to accuse them of desertion, but Xaden smoothly counters, presenting a fabricated but believable story: they were attacked by gryphons while on a mission and barely survived. He also reveals the devastating loss of Liam Mairi and Soleil Telery.

General Sorrengail (Violet’s mother) demands an explanation. When Violet backs up Xaden’s version of events with selective truth, a tense standoff occurs. Violet reveals she was stabbed with a poison-tipped blade and confirms their struggle beyond the wards. Seeing her daughter's scars and hearing the tale, General Sorrengail believes them—and realizes Colonel Aetos severely misjudged the situation.

In a rare show of emotion, the General shows pride and relief in her daughter, shocking Violet. She declares the cadets cleared of all charges and orders Colonel Aetos to report to her office immediately. The battle is won—for now.

Before leaving, Colonel Aetos hisses threats, but Xaden and Violet stand strong, warning that exposing the real truth would cause bigger problems, especially with General Melgren unable to foresee outcomes involving multiple rebellion-marked riders.

As they return to their squad, Dain Aetos (Colonel Aetos’s son) rushes to greet Violet. But Violet shuts him down with cold fury, warning him not to touch her. Xaden, ever protective, humiliates Dain in front of the entire quadrant, ensuring that Dain understands he is no longer part of Violet’s life—and never will be.

Captain Fitzgibbons continues reading the death roll, calling out the names of those who died during War Games. Violet holds herself together as she hears Soleil’s and Liam’s names. There is no mourning allowed—not publicly, not yet.

Following tradition, the third-year riders are commissioned as lieutenants, ready to join active duty. Xaden is the last name called. Watching him walk away, Violet feels an unexpected wave of grief and panic. Despite everything, the idea of him being gone leaves a hollow ache in her chest.

Panchek announces the promotions:

• First-years are now officially Second-years.

• Second-years are now Third-years.

Amid hugs and cheers, Violet realizes that only five of the original eleven first-years from their squad survived to see this day.

They made it.
For now.

Iron Flame – Chapter Five Recap

The evening after graduation, the Riders Quadrant parties harder than Violet has ever seen. The gathering hall is overflowing with food, ale, and dangerously spiked lavender lemonade. For the first time, ranks don’t matter—cadets, new lieutenants, and second-years mingle without the usual hierarchy. Violet enjoys the buzz from the lemonade and the victory of having survived to her second year.

As they celebrate, Ridoc, Rhiannon, Sawyer, Nadine, Imogen, and Quinn discuss the new privileges of second year—weekends off, the possible reopening of access to the nearby village of Chantara, and the ability to fraternize with cadets from other quadrants. Ridoc jokes about getting lucky, and Rhiannon pretends to scold him by quoting regulations about temple visits.

But under the laughter, Violet feels the heavy burden of her new reality. She can’t help but notice how much has changed after Resson. She now knows truths about venin, wyvern, and Navarre’s betrayal—truths she cannot share without endangering her friends.

When the conversation turns to the gryphon attack, Imogen bluntly tells the table the truth:

"It fucking sucked. If it wasn’t for Riorson and Sorrengail, we’d all be dead."
In a rare moment of respect, Imogen lifts a glass for Liam, and everyone at the table follows, drinking to honor him. Violet swallows her grief as best she can.

Across the hall, Xaden watches Violet, their bond sparking even across the room. He signals her to join him. Despite the alcohol-induced buzz, Violet crosses the room—and Ridoc’s teasing about his fantasies about Xaden—without hesitation.

Xaden, now in officer flight leathers, looks devastatingly good. Their playful flirting masks the underlying tension between them—especially Violet’s deep ache, knowing Xaden is leaving for his first post as a lieutenant. Garrick jokes for them to "figure their shit out" before heading out.

As they walk through commons together, Violet notices a group of cadets—including Dain—hovering around the announcements board, desperate to see the new leadership designations. She pointedly ignores him.

Xaden reveals he’s leaving tonight because new wingleaders will want their rooms. When Violet jokes about not inviting him into her bed, Xaden reminds her confidently:

"We’ll get back there. Anticipation is good for us."

Their flirtation ends abruptly when they’re confronted by Colonel Aetos and a new officer, Major Varrish, who has been assigned as Vice Commandant to "tighten the ship." His reputation is dark—he's known for killing prisoners during interrogations. Varrish immediately pegs Violet as the "fragile" daughter of General Sorrengail, but she holds her ground with a sharp retort.

Then the bomb drops:

• Xaden will be stationed at the Southern Wing, directly on the front lines.

• Violet will be allowed only two days of leave every fourteen days to fly to wherever Xaden and Sgaeyl are stationed.

• Any other absence from her classes will be punishable.

Their bonds (Tairn and Sgaeyl) need to stay close—but this rotation means both dragons and riders will suffer immense pain and strain, barely able to survive the forced distance.

Tairn’s roar explodes in Violet’s mind in outrage. But Xaden stays calm, slipping the orders into his pocket.

Before leaving, Colonel Aetos smugly warns them that secrets aren’t leverage if the secret-keepers die—a chilling threat.

The battle may have been won today, but the war is only getting started.

Iron Flame – Chapter Six Recap

As Chapter Six begins, Violet’s stomach churns—Colonel Aetos has just subtly threatened not only her life but also Mira’s. Xaden is furious, his shadows whipping out in reaction to the danger. Violet can barely contain the surge of power building in her body.

Lightning explodes from her fingertips, blasting the courtyard forty feet away. Thankfully, Xaden reacts fast, raising a shield of shadows to stop the debris from hurting any nearby cadets. Violet is mortified by her lack of control.

Trying to calm her down, Xaden reveals that he’s being stationed at Samara, one of the Southern Wing’s most dangerous outposts—right on the borders of Krovla and Braevick. They will be separated, and with the new orders limiting them to only two days of leave every fourteen days, both their dragons, Tairn and Sgaeyl, will constantly suffer from the bond strain.

Violet reaches out to Andarna, who is supposed to be sleeping through her Dreamless Sleep for the next few months. But even groggy, Andarna warns that Tairn is extremely pissed about the situation.

Realizing how limited their communication will be, Xaden reminds Violet that leadership will monitor all missives they send. He pulls her close in a staged "farewell embrace" to avoid drawing suspicion, whispering real instructions in her ear:

"You can only fully trust those who were with us at Resson."

He warns Violet not to involve herself in any missions Bodhi or the others are undertaking while he’s away. If caught, her lack of a rebellion relic would expose everything.

Even though their chemistry simmers between them, Violet holds back. She reminds herself that trust—not just physical attraction—is what matters. But under the influence of alcohol and emotions, she instinctively places her hands on Xaden’s chest, feeling the strong beat of his heart.

Xaden almost kisses her but stops a breath away, teasing her with the line:

"Anticipation is a good thing."

Violet, battling longing and resentment, warns him that she could easily find someone more ordinary to warm her bed.
Xaden confidently retorts:

"You still love me."

Infuriated and embarrassed, Violet drops her hands and orders him to leave. He calls her "Violence" one last time and strides away, disappearing through the tunnel toward the flight field.

Left standing alone, Violet wrestles with her emotions. How can she still want someone who refuses to offer full disclosure? How can she crave someone who makes a game out of trust?

Rhiannon finds her in the courtyard, excitement shining in her eyes. She reveals she has good news and bad news:

• The bad news: Dain Aetos is now the new Fourth Wing wingleader.

• The good news: Rhiannon Matthias has been promoted to Squad Leader of Second Squad, Flame Section.

Violet is overjoyed and hugs Rhiannon tightly, celebrating her friend’s well-deserved promotion.
Their other friends—Ridoc, Sawyer, Nadine—join in the celebration, cheering for their new Squad Leader Matthias.

When asked what her first command will be, Rhiannon gives a simple but powerful order:

"Live."

Violet smiles... but deep down, she knows surviving Basgiath and what’s coming next will be anything but simple.

Iron Flame – Chapter Seven Recap

Five days after the events of graduation, Violet and her squad gather for their first official session of Orientation as second-years. The new classroom is in a deeper part of the academic building, arranged in a U-shaped amphitheater. The atmosphere is casual, with jokes flying among Ridoc, Rhiannon, and Nadine about how they’ve never been to this room before—because they've never been second-years before.

Violet feels exhausted and emotionally raw. She tries to joke, but mentions Resson unintentionally, causing an awkward silence. Rhiannon reminds Violet she’s there if Violet wants to talk, but Violet internally struggles. Because of Aetos’s threat, she knows she can't share what truly happened. This forces her to recognize something painful: if she can’t lie to her friends, maybe she has to distance herself to protect them.

The new professor, Captain—Professor—Grady, introduces himself to the second-years. He informs them that there are only eighty-nine second-years left, making their class the smallest since the First Six—a chilling reminder of how many have died. Violet mentally confirms with Tairn that this is because the Empyrean is divided about bonding humans due to the venin threat.

The main purpose of Orientation is revealed: Rider Survival Course (RSC).

• In RSC, cadets will learn how to survive being separated from their dragon behind enemy lines.

• They will also train on navigation, interrogation resistance, and survival skills.

• Their performance will be evaluated twice: one surprise evaluation soon and another around mid-year.

• If they break under interrogation, they will fail.

Professor Grady emphasizes that they must not break during interrogation. The warning shakes Violet, who now carries lethal secrets about the revolution and the venin. The thought of being captured and tortured terrifies her.

With anxiety bubbling, Violet seeks comfort the only way she knows: she heads to the Archives.
The smell of parchment, ink, and bookbinding glue immediately calms her—reminding her of her former dream of being a scribe. However, she also acknowledges how much she's changed. She is no longer the naive girl who trusted everything recorded in books as absolute truth.

After days of planning, Violet's moment finally comes when Jesinia Neilwart—her old scribe friend—appears. Jesinia’s welcoming smile reassures Violet, but also makes her nervous because of the stakes. If Jesinia can’t be trusted, Violet could be exposing herself to danger.

Carefully, Violet lies for the first time in a long while.
She signs that she's researching a debate about why Basgiath was built in its current location rather than elsewhere, using the wards as the excuse. Jesinia, without suspicion, agrees to help.

She returns shortly with two old tomes written over a century ago. Violet takes them, knowing she’s now fully committed.
She is determined to find a way to protect Aretia and Poromiel—using the hidden knowledge stored in the Archives, even if it means risking everything.

Iron Flame – Chapter Eight Recap

Conscription Day has arrived, and Violet stands on the turret alongside Rhiannon, Nadine, and Dain to oversee candidates arriving for the Parapet.
From her new perspective as a second-year, Conscription Day feels even more horrifying: watching candidates fall from the Parapet is like dying a little inside. Violet actively avoids focusing on their faces to protect herself from more nightmares.

Meanwhile, Dain is nearby, making Violet incredibly tense because of his memory-reading powers. She holds her mental shields tightly in place to prevent him from accessing her mind.

When the candidates start climbing the stairs, Nadine remarks how nervous they look, and Violet reflects that while it's sunny (unlike last year’s rain), it doesn't make it any less deadly.
Dain, now wingleader of Fourth Wing, informs them that only ninety-one dragons have agreed to bond this year—even fewer than last year. His promotion infuriates Violet since she blames him for Liam’s and Soleil’s deaths.

Tension rises as the candidates file through. Violet, Rhiannon, and Nadine quietly discuss how harsh the system is, and Dain proves himself to be a complete ass by nitpicking Rhiannon’s leadership.
There’s also talk about Major Varrish, the newly assigned vice commandant, who is known for being extremely strict and who is friends with Dain’s father.

When the candidates reach the top, Violet starts calling names, including some very aggressive ones. Watching the cruelty on the Parapet wounds her spirit further.
A particularly shocking moment comes when she sees someone familiar: Cameron (Cam) Tauri, King Tauri’s third son, crossing under the false name Aaric Graycastle.

• Violet and Dain realize that Cam is going against his royal family’s wishes.

• Violet discreetly directs Cam to Second Squad, Flame Section.

• She knows his presence could cause serious trouble if discovered.

Shortly after, another emotional gut punch: Sloane Mairi arrives—the younger sister of Liam Mairi.
Violet instinctively tries to protect her, handing her a leather strap to braid her hair for safety.
But Sloane hates Violet, believing Violet is responsible for Liam's death.

• Sloane whispers venomously that she hopes Violet’s soul is rejected by Malek.

• Despite the hatred, Violet urges Sloane to walk carefully for Liam’s sake, not hers.

Violet watches Sloane make it across the Parapet, and silently promises Liam she will protect his sister.

Later, during squad assignments, Violet’s group is almost full, but she notices Sloane is assigned to First Wing.
Luckily, Dain intervenes, and Sloane is transferred to Second Squad, Flame Section, Violet's squad.
Sloane immediately refuses to be in Violet's squad, loudly expressing her hatred, but Rhiannon firmly orders her to fall into line. Imogen and Ridoc both comment on the tension. Violet insists Sloane stays, because she promised Liam to look after her.

At the same time, Violet notices Aaric (Cam) behaving quietly and formally. She realizes keeping two major secrets—Sloane's grudge and Cam's identity—will make this year even harder.

The ceremony continues, and Violet reflects on how smaller the first-year class is this year. Tufts of fear are everywhere—students visibly shaking, vomiting, and even trying to run away.
When a few first-years break and sprint for the parapet, Solas, the one-eyed Orange Daggertail dragon, torches them mid-flight, killing the runners along with some innocent second-years who didn’t flee fast enough.

Violet shields Sloane during the attack, tackling her to the ground as the fire roars above them. Her uniform is burned, but her dragon-scale armor saves her life. Many cadets are burned alive. Imogen is devastated to discover that her friend Ciaran was among the dead.

Tairn, sensing the attack, swoops in and roars furiously at Solas, making it very clear that no dragon is allowed to harm Violet. Tairn issues a chilling threat: if Solas ever endangers Violet again, he’ll devour Solas’s human rider alive.

Solas retreats under Tairn’s dominance, and order is eventually restored. However, Vice Commandant Varrish now hates Violet even more, glaring at her with open hostility.

Violet realizes the hard truth: even among the riders, she is now a direct target.

Iron Flame – Chapter Nine Recap

The chapter opens with Violet waking up at dawn, drenched in sweat from another nightmare about Resson and the venin.
She's constantly on edge, struggling with the vivid memories of venin attacks and the fear of more enemies reaching Navarre.
Trying to regain control, she forces herself into a routine: dressing quickly, suiting up for sparring, and going running in the mornings—something she has never done before.

On her way outside, she bumps into Imogen, who notices Violet’s habit of running daily. Violet is suspicious, wondering if Xaden ordered someone to watch her, but Imogen clarifies that she's noticed on her own because her room is above Violet's.
When asked why she’s running, Violet confesses that she’s terrified she can’t outrun the venin’s magic if separated from Tairn.
Imogen’s response is strong: "Not yet. But we will be fast enough. Let’s go." — showing support instead of pity.

Later that day, Battle Brief resumes with the entire Riders Quadrant assembled, including first-years, second-years, and third-years. Violet feels the difference of being higher up now as a second-year, sitting above the new cadets. Her body is sore from running, but she pushes through, keeping her shields up as best she can, even though it’s exhausting.

Professor Devera and Colonel Markham lead the class.
Violet’s hatred for Markham simmers beneath the surface; he wrote the official histories — histories Violet now realizes are full of lies and omissions.

Devera informs them that in the past week, there have been two attacks by gryphon drifts:

• Sipene in the Esben Mountains was attacked and burned.

• Athebyne outpost, recently reoccupied after War Games, was also raided.

Violet notes that gryphon attacks on outposts are rare, raising serious alarm bells.
When Violet reacts strongly to hearing about Athebyne, Markham challenges her publicly—but she manages to deflect suspicion.

There’s heavy coded talk:

• Poromish unrest is cited as a cause for communication breakdowns.

• Violet knows they’re covering up the venin’s activities, pretending these attacks are "gryphon raids" instead.

During questioning:

• Rhiannon intelligently points out the delay in enemy information after War Games.

• Violet asks where the attackers were found—they were by the armory, implying they were targeting weapons.

Tairn reminds Violet sharply to keep her shields up — another sign that she's slipping under pressure.

After class, Violet tries to join the rebellion efforts by approaching Bodhi, but he firmly refuses her help, following Xaden’s direct orders:
“Survive second year. Strengthen your shields. That’s your job.”

Imogen backs Bodhi’s stance but also reminds Violet:
“You’re one of us now. As close as you can get without a rebellion relic.”

Violet walks with Rhiannon afterward and feels a brief panic when Rhiannon says:
“I think they’re hiding something in the Healer Quadrant.”
Rhi noticed that Healer Nolon looked exhausted and weakened, and the back door of the infirmary is now guarded—a serious red flag. Ridoc jokes that it’s because of Varrish’s torture tactics. Violet pretends to brush it off but is deeply disturbed internally. She skips lunch with her friends, choosing to hide in the library and continue researching how the wards were built.

Unfortunately, the book United Navarre, a Study in Survival offers no useful answers—only the same polished official stories.

Later, during assessment day, Violet joins her squad for combat matches.
There’s underlying tension: Rhiannon thinks Violet is avoiding her after choosing Sawyer as Executive Officer, but Violet reassures her that she never wanted leadership.

When it’s time for the first-years to fight:

• Visia Hawelynn (the burn-scarred repeater) easily defeats her opponent.

• Sloane Mairi (Liam’s sister) is paired against Aaric Graycastle (Cam Tauri, the king’s son in disguise).

• But Sloane refuses, demanding to fight Violet instead, dripping with hatred.

Professor Emetterio shuts her down, reminding everyone that Violet is too dangerous for first-years.

Just as things seem to settle, a massive first-year from Second Wing steps forward, targeting Violet. Nadine playfully pretends to be Violet, but horrifyingly, the first-year grabs Nadine’s head and snaps her neck — killing her instantly.

The chapter ends on a brutal cliffhanger, with Violet witnessing the horrifying betrayal and loss within seconds.

Iron Flame – Chapter Ten Recap

The chapter begins with pure horror as Violet watches Nadine's lifeless body hit the floor after the first-year assassin snaps her neck.
Shock paralyzes Violet for a moment, but she quickly recovers, drawing her daggers and attacking. The first-year is brutally strong—he blocks her blades, rips them out, and charges her.

In the middle of the battle, Violet's survival instincts kick in.
She uses her speed and slashes his knee, toppling him, but he retaliates by kicking her legs out and dragging her across the bloody floor.
Despite a concussion, bruises, and throttling, Violet manages to stab him repeatedly in the kidney until he dies on top of her.

When Violet finally pushes his dead weight off, she can barely breathe or stand, but she refuses help from Dain, throwing up her shields and gritting through the pain.
Professor Emetterio checks her, confirms she’s concussed, and advises her to sit out—but Violet refuses, determined not to be seen as weak.

Imogen and Ridoc help steady her, keeping her upright as they watch the horror-struck first-years mop up the blood.
The heavy sorrow of Nadine’s death crushes Violet internally, but she shoves it down into the box where she keeps all her overwhelming emotions.
Nadine died simply because she pretended to be Violet for a moment.

Violet notices that Sloane and Aaric both stare at her with shock, but Sloane’s disdain still burns strong.
Sloane's fighting skills, however, are terrible—nothing like Liam’s—and she struggles in assessment against Aaric, who easily overpowers her multiple times.

Afterward, Violet endures physics class with blood dried on her skin and a pounding head.
She refuses to eat dinner, dragging herself back to her room, barely able to make it up the stairs.

When she opens her door, relief floods her—Xaden is finally there, leaning against her wall, looking furious and dangerous.

Xaden immediately checks her injuries with rage in his eyes but gentle hands.
When she croaks that the blood isn’t hers, he relaxes slightly but remains deadly serious.
She tells him Colonel Aetos sent the assassin, and Xaden responds grimly:
"I'm sorry I couldn't kill him first." He then helps clean her up, brings her soup, and stays with her. In a rare moment of vulnerability, Violet and Xaden talk about Samara:

• Xaden admits that life at Samara Outpost is cruel and he has to prove himself all over again.

• His name (Riorson) and his rebellion relic make life harder, but he endures.

• He admits Garrick has an easier time with the older riders.

Violet also learns that Xaden personally warded her room for complete privacy:

• Only Violet and anyone she pulls through can enter.

• Soundproofing is one-way—she can hear outside, but no one can hear inside.

When she teases him about it, Xaden admits he selfishly added himself into the ward too.

The emotional tension grows hotter:

• Xaden teases Violet, saying one word from her and he would happily wreck her armoire again (just like their first time together last year).

• But Violet holds back, insisting that they shouldn't.

Despite the temptation, she shifts the conversation back to Conscription Day, admitting:

• She couldn’t watch all the candidates crossing the Parapet.

• She wants to detach emotionally to survive second year.

Xaden explains with chilling honesty:

"The first year is when some of us lose our lives. The second year is when the rest of us lose our humanity."

Basgiath isn't just training soldiers—it’s desensitizing them to death. Before leaving again, Xaden gives Violet a folded letter—a rare gesture of intimacy and trust.

He tells her:

• "This is all I have for now. I told you I'd find a way to let you in."

• He also gives her instructions: once she flies to Samara in a week,
  she can find him on the third floor, south wing, second door on the right—and the wards will allow her in.

The wards are for only Violet and Xaden—no one else. Xaden leaves, and Violet opens the letter with trembling hands, smiling for the first time in what feels like forever.

Iron Flame – Chapter Eleven Recap

The chapter opens with Violet feeling happier during her morning run with Imogen, still smiling days after receiving Xaden’s letter.
It contains personal memories from his childhood, like sitting on the roof of Riorson House, hoping for his father's return during the rebellion—heartfelt details, no revolutionary secrets.

Imogen notices Violet’s unusually good mood and teases her, asking why she hasn’t taken Xaden back yet.
Violet admits their situation is complicated: though the chemistry is undeniable, trust is broken between them.

In the courtyard, Jesinia, a scribe cadet, meets Violet secretly and hands her a rare tome:

• A very old copy of The Gift of the First Six,

• Plus a translation request for a book written in Old Lucerish, a dead language Violet can read.

Violet helps Jesinia, realizing that researching ancient history is dangerous—especially when scribes are forced to record book requests, and riders are being arrested just for what they try to read.

Later that day, Violet and her squad gather near the flight field, trying to complete navigation homework.
Rhiannon distributes letters among the squad.
Violet’s hope spikes—maybe it’s from Xaden—but it turns out to be from Mira.

Violet reads Mira’s letter, but finds large parts of it blacked out and censored.
This shows that someone is monitoring Violet’s communication, likely Aetos, Varrish, or even her mother.
Violet stuffs the letter away, feeling uneasy.

Meanwhile, Rhiannon confronts Violet gently about avoiding her friends and still being hung up on Xaden.
Violet admits that while she ended things with him because of secrets and half-truths, her feelings haven't faded.

At the flight field, they observe the dragons assembled in impressive formation, preparing for a special maneuver.
Third-year cadets demonstrate a running landing—Dain Aetos lands spectacularly, showing off.

Violet watches silently, noting that this new training is outdated and useless in a real war against venin and wyvern.
It’s another reminder: the administration at Basgiath is still hiding the truth about the real war outside the wards.

Later that night, Bodhi escorts Violet to the flight field for her leave to Samara.
He gives her a cryptic message to pass to Xaden:

• “The shipment is raw,” referring to illegal weapon smuggling.

Their conversation turns awkward when Bodhi mentions Catriona, hinting Xaden had a past relationship, rattling Violet.
But before Violet can demand more answers, Varrish and two lieutenants intercept her.

Varrish demands to search Violet’s bag, invoking Basgiath Codex law.
Despite the tension, they find only mundane items—no secret documents.

This whole encounter was planned:

• Bodhi used Violet as a “control” to see if leadership would search her.

• She feels furious and betrayed that she was used as a test subject without her consent.

Violet lays down a firm rule with Bodhi:

• If they want her help, they must trust and inform her.

Once alone, Violet mounts Tairn, who carries secret weapon shipments (hidden behind the saddle).
Despite Varrish’s suspicions, they launch into the night, finally heading for Samara Outpost—
where Xaden waits, and where the stakes are about to get even higher.

Iron Flame – Chapter Twelve Recap

Violet finally reaches the Samara Outpost, a remote and harsh fortress located in the Esben Mountains, close to the border with Poromiel.
The place feels isolated, with infantry soldiers, thick wards pulsing stronger than anywhere she’s been, and a harsh, unforgiving environment.

Tairn warns her to stay alert, mentioning a drift of venin close to the mountains, reminding her that Samara is the true frontline of the hidden war.
Violet enters alone, feeling the odd tension and absence of other riders, and makes her way to the third floor to find Xaden’s barracks room—only to discover it empty.

Using the pull of their bond, Violet senses that Xaden is below, underground.
Following her instincts, she finds a pit-fighting arena carved out of the fortress’s stone foundation, filled with riders cheering and gambling as Xaden fistfights another rider.

Xaden is shirtless, fighting with brutal precision, but also holding back.
The riders fight for leave passes: a brutal system where only strength earns rest at Samara.

Violet can't take her eyes off him, realizing that despite the danger and secrecy between them, she’s still hopelessly in love with him.

Xaden wins the fight easily after Violet mentally nudges him through their bond, showing he had been toying with his opponent.
He earns twenty-four hours of leave, but only takes half of the pass, giving the rest to the man he defeated—because he knows Violet can only stay one day.

As they finally meet alone, the tension between them is electric.
They talk and flirt dangerously close to losing all control.
Despite Violet saying "only a kiss," Xaden kisses her deeply, passionately, lifting her against the wall.
Their kiss is desperate, fierce, and full of need—and both struggle with the overwhelming desire to go further.

Yet Xaden pulls back first, not willing to be "just sex" between them anymore.
He tells Violet plainly:

“Don’t offer me your body unless you’re offering me everything.
I want those three little words back.”

He doesn't want just physical intimacy; he wants her full trust and love again.

Violet is stunned. It’s a complete role reversal from last year, where Xaden was the one who insisted on no feelings, but now he’s all in—waiting for her to catch up emotionally.

Later, after Violet cleans up, they fall into an easy routine together:

• Sharpening knives,

• Fixing weapons,

• Talking honestly.

During their conversation, Xaden reveals an important secret:

• The daggers Violet used to kill venin are made with special alloy that stores ward power.

• These daggers can kill venin because they hold imbued power—but once the energy is used, it must be recharged by a rider's magic.

He explains the outposts are positioned to keep the ward boundaries strong, and without enough alloyed weapons, the wards—and the continent—will fail.

Iron Flame – Chapter Thirteen Recap

After a long, exhausting flight back to Basgiath, Violet is immediately summoned to the practice grounds, where Carr and Varrish are waiting.
Tairn senses danger but Violet chooses to face it—believing she can handle whatever punishment is coming for protecting Andarna.

Varrish punishes Violet brutally by ordering her to repeatedly summon lightning strikes without rest, far beyond normal limits.
Professor Carr is uncomfortable, warning Varrish that she could burn out—the physical condition where her own magic could destroy her from inside.

But Varrish, cold and cruel, continues pushing Violet past safe limits, trying to force her—and indirectly Andarna—into submission.
He threatens to stop only if Andarna shows up for maneuvers, but Violet refuses, choosing to endure rather than risk Andarna’s exposure.

As Violet forces herself to keep going, pain builds dangerously inside her.
By the fortieth lightning strike, she collapses, injuring her shoulder badly.
Still, she forces herself back up, managing one last deadly strike—but this time, she can't control the lightning, and it keeps flowing, tearing apart an entire mountain ridge.

The lightning nearly kills her, searing her body from the inside out until Tairn roars, and Violet barely manages to mentally shut it down.

Varrish leaves, cruelly satisfied, while Carr (surprisingly sympathetic) tells Tairn to get Violet cooled and fed immediately or she’ll die.
Tairn doesn’t waste a second—he flies Violet straight to the river, dunks her into the ice-cold, rushing water to lower her dangerous body temperature, and saves her life.

Completely burned out, Violet is dragged from the water and found by Imogen, Bodhi, and Eya, who rush to help.
They are furious when they realize Varrish caused this punishment because of Andarna not appearing.
Violet admits it, and they vow to support her—but they also realize that if Andarna doesn’t show up soon, Varrish’s next punishment could kill her.

Over the next few days, Violet recovers slowly, though her body still feels like it's healing from a severe sunburn.
Tairn remains constantly in her mind, monitoring her emotions, refusing to risk another burnout.

Meanwhile, Violet and Imogen secretly watch Sloane, Liam’s sister, struggle badly during extra sparring sessions.
Sloane is completely unprepared for the brutal challenges ahead—her stubbornness and refusal to accept help might actually get her killed.

Violet, remembering her promise to Liam, decides she can't stand by.
She will intervene to help Sloane survive—even if it means breaking quadrant rules again.

Later, while leaving a sparring session, Ridoc sneaks up on Violet, trying to joke around.
But Violet, traumatized and on edge, instinctively reacts and nearly slits his throat with her dagger.

Everyone realizes just how hypervigilant and traumatized Violet has become after all the attempts on her life.

Trying to shake it off, Violet walks with her friends toward physics class, still rattled.
They joke lightly about quizzes and altitude—but as they head down the stairs—

Someone throws a bag over Violet’s head... and she is knocked unconscious before she even has time to react.

Iron Flame – Chapter Fourteen Recap

Violet wakes abruptly in the middle of a forest, her senses fuzzy and lungs burning from smelling salts. She, along with Rhiannon, Ridoc, and Sawyer, has been drugged and removed from the quadrant. Across from them are two infantry squads and a group from Second Wing, also disoriented.

They’ve all been taken for a joint RSC (Rider Survival Course) training exercise. Violet immediately senses something’s wrong—her bond with Tairn is muffled, and she can't sense Andarna either. Panic sets in when they all realize their dragon bonds and signets have been blocked by a herbal concoction mixed into their water, making them vulnerable and cut off.

Professor Grady and an infantry captain explain the objective: each team (infantry + riders + a scribe + healers) must navigate the forest using only a map to reach an extraction point by tomorrow afternoon. However, a twist is added—there is another group in the forest, and their dragons will be hunting this group, and vice versa.

Also added to the mix are unbonded dragons—making this a very real, very deadly exercise.

Tension arises immediately between the disciplined infantry cadets and the more chaotic riders. Calvin, the arrogant infantry leader of their squad, clashes with Rhiannon over directions and rank. Despite the arguments, they begin the hike, crossing rough terrain under a punishing sun. Violet, still sore from burnout, struggles but pushes through.

As they trudge forward, bickering escalates, especially between Calvin and Ridoc, who mocks the infantry’s rigid obedience. Sawyer jumps in to defend Violet’s achievements, revealing she’s bonded to two dragons and survived a real combat mission against gryphons. This moment shifts the tone among the cadets.

But just as things start to settle, Brisa (Second Wing) realizes something crucial:

The two squads were given different maps—sending them in conflicting directions.

Before they can even react, they crest a hill and come face-to-face with Baide, the orange scorpiontail dragon who used to be bonded to Jack Barlowe—the same rider Violet killed.

Baide is massive, furious, and terrifying. Violet warns everyone to avert their eyes and not run, explaining that Oranges are unpredictable and incredibly deadly. She herself refuses to hide, stepping forward as Baide approaches.

Tension hits its peak when Baide growls and pretends to attack, her head swaying dangerously close to Violet, snapping her jaws inches from Violet’s face. The infantry panics, and one cadet—Gwen—runs.

This breaks the one rule: Never run from a dragon.

Tomas (Second Wing squad leader) tries to save her, yanking her back just in time—but Baide unleashes her fire, obliterating Tomas in front of everyone.

As the scorched air clears, riders and infantry alike are stunned. Violet whispers facts about Scorpiontails, trying to steady her racing heart, but everyone is shaken. Brisa and Cohen mourn Tomas’s charred remains, while Mirabel vomits. Rhiannon lashes out in fury at Gwen and the rest of the infantry:

“And that’s why you don’t fucking run!”

The reality sets in: this isn’t just a training drill. It’s a deadly survival test, and they’ve already lost one of their own.

Iron Flame – Chapter Fifteen Recap

The chapter begins with Violet and her group realizing that they've failed the land navigation exercise after spending two exhausting days lost in the Hadden Woods. Their failure stems from a crucial mistake—not ensuring that the two maps they were given matched. This oversight has left them wandering without direction, dealing with physical fatigue, popped blisters, sore joints, and the emotional weight of Tomas’s death, who had sacrificed himself when Gwen ran from Baide the day before. The group is demoralized, exhausted, and increasingly frustrated at their inability to work together.

During Violet’s watch shift, she reflects on how little riders know about infantry and vice versa. The recent exercise has introduced her to several new names and reminded her that although riders die at a high rate at Basgiath, infantry cadets are just as vulnerable once they’re deployed in the ongoing war. Dyre, the young healer whose life Violet saved, brings her dinner out of gratitude, insisting he owes her a life debt, which she finds sweet but overwhelming. She’s tired—not just physically but mentally—from carrying textbooks, handling stress, and trying to keep her secrets.

Rhiannon joins her for a quiet moment and subtly confronts Violet, pointing out that she's noticed how withdrawn Violet has become. From avoiding time with the squad to being elusive about Andarna, Xaden, and even War Games, Rhiannon makes it clear that while she won’t push, she sees everything, and she won’t tolerate being lied to. Violet is unable to deny it, and although she doesn’t open up, the moment exposes how much strain is building in her friendships due to the secrets she's keeping. She doesn't sleep that night, though the absence of nightmares offers a small mercy.

The next morning, a convoy of professors and horses arrives, confirming the failure of the exercise. Professor Grady is disappointed, emphasizing that the task should have been manageable, and revealing they were in the Hadden Woods all along. Tomas’s death is brushed past with a vague mention, and Violet notes the callousness in their response. Each cadet is handed a new waterskin, and as they drink it, their dragon bonds and signets are restored, making Violet feel like herself again. The return of power floods her system as Tairn speaks directly to her, finally reconnecting after two days of silence.

The dragons arrive shortly after, their presence sending shockwaves through the infantry, who are clearly unused to seeing dragons up close and unbound. The riders, relieved to be reunited, reflect on the fact that the professors had complete control over their abilities during the exercise. Sawyer, angry, calls the experience violating, and Violet agrees. Tairn, too, expresses his dislike for this new suppression tactic, noting that while he could sense Violet, she couldn’t hear or feel him in return. The implications are chilling—leadership now has the means to suppress rider power at will, and that kind of control is dangerous.

As the chapter closes, Rhiannon voices what Violet has been unwilling to fully admit—something is very wrong this year at Basgiath. Between the guarded infirmary, new elixirs, and a targeted assassination attempt, the atmosphere has changed. Violet continues to keep her truths close, but her silence is becoming a wedge between her and her closest allies. She’s also haunted by her longing for Xaden, whose brief visit she missed because of the exercise. Even though she knows they'll meet again in a week, her instincts whisper something more ominous—that they might not get that chance.

Iron Flame – Chapter Sixteen Recap

After returning from the disastrous land navigation exercise, Violet heads to the Archives to make use of the little free time she has. There, she meets Jesinia and Aoife, who are working on transcribing their notes from the exercise. Jesinia shares Aoife’s field report, which is impressively detailed, capturing even the smallest facts Violet hadn’t noticed. Their conversation soon turns serious when Violet asks about Jacek’s death. Jesinia is shocked to hear he was killed, explaining that all he did was request a record of a border attack that supposedly didn’t exist. She had forwarded the request up the chain but didn’t think it would lead to anything serious. Violet then reveals that Jesinia had once covered for her too—by not reporting her request for a book that doesn’t exist—and this confirms Violet’s suspicions: the Archives are incomplete, either through negligence or intentional omission.

Jesinia quickly understands the gravity of the situation and agrees to help Violet—secretly, one book at a time, only on Saturdays, when the Archives are quiet. Violet’s first request is information about how the First Six built the wards, a topic vague enough to conceal her true intentions but important enough to potentially uncover the truth. Jesinia, understanding the risk, agrees to help. Their alliance is a dangerous one, since both are betraying their quadrants, but they move forward carefully, committed to digging into the gaps in Navarre’s official history.

Meanwhile, it’s Monday and the first challenge round begins. Violet is anxious—not for herself, but for Sloane, who’s scheduled to fight someone clearly more skilled. Rhiannon and the others try to stay calm, but it’s obvious that Sloane is terrified, and Violet knows the fight is unfair. Unwilling to let Liam’s sister die, Violet takes matters into her own hands. She secretly poisons Dasha, Sloane’s opponent, using a mixture of ardyce powder and ground lillybelle—a blend that causes temporary disorientation and mimics drunkenness. With Dasha slowed down, Sloane is able to gain the upper hand and win the fight, but Violet knows it was her intervention that saved her life.

After the match, Violet pulls Sloane aside and confronts her with the truth. She explains how she saved her and why—because of the promise she made to Liam. Despite Sloane’s hatred and misplaced blame for her brother’s death, Violet offers her a deal: train with Imogen and survive, and in return, Violet will give her one of Liam’s letters each week. Sloane is furious but shaken. Violet’s move is strategic and emotional—it appeals to Sloane’s heart and sense of purpose while also pushing her toward self-preservation.

As the week progresses, Jesinia brings Violet her first hidden book—a three-hundred-year-old text titled The Unabridged History of the First Six. Unfortunately, it proves to be vague and sanitized, listing only names and battles without any deeper insights into the wards or the truth Violet is chasing. Later in the week, Jesinia gives her a second book, The Sacrifice of Dragonkind, which focuses on the green dragons’ stability with magic and why Basgiath was chosen as the center of the wards. It’s still not enough, but it’s a step forward.

Just when Violet is about to leave for her weekend visit to Samara, she’s unexpectedly ambushed by Vice Commandant Varrish. Though unable to enter her room due to Xaden’s protective wards, Varrish insists on checking her bag and escorting her to Tairn, citing a rise in recent attacks. Violet stays calm and careful, ensuring she keeps a safe distance from him at all times. Varrish drops hints about watching her and Andarna, making it clear he’s monitoring her every move. Thankfully, she’s able to mount Tairn and escape.

But when Violet arrives at Samara, she receives a gutting blow—Xaden is on twenty-four-hour duty in the operations center and she won’t be allowed to see him because she lacks clearance. After days of anticipation and longing, her hopes are crushed. Despite everything she’s fighting for, Violet is now left alone again, her only solace being that she’s one step closer to uncovering the truth about the wards.

Iron Flame – Chapter Seventeen Recap

As the chapter begins, Imogen warns Violet that Bodhi can't keep delaying their squad’s flight maneuvers for much longer without raising suspicion, especially since Andarna remains absent during formations. Though Tairn has gone to the Empyrean to check on her, there’s nothing anyone can do until she awakens from her Dreamless Sleep. Imogen also points out how Violet continues to isolate herself from friends, an issue that becomes even more evident when she brings up Violet’s relationship with Xaden. Their communication has reduced to letters, and Imogen remarks that writing letters doesn’t even suit his personality, signaling that something feels off.

During their conversation, Violet reflects on how strategically timed orders and responsibilities have kept her and Xaden apart, and she suspects this separation is intentional—perhaps even a punishment for not bringing Andarna to class. Imogen presses Violet about whether she’ll forgive Xaden, emphasizing that secrets are part of every rider’s life, and that loving someone who keeps secrets might just be the reality of any military relationship. Violet remains conflicted, especially when Imogen insists that if she wanted “normal,” she wouldn’t have chosen Xaden Riorson, a man surrounded by danger and secrecy.

Once they arrive at Battle Brief, Violet notices Rhiannon looking distressed. She learns that Rhiannon has received a disturbing flyer from her family’s village—a warning to civilians about strangers seeking shelter. The language is suspicious, urging people not to help refugees by claiming “your kindness could kill,” and referencing violations of sovereign borders. There’s no official seal or announcement number, and the message suggests a deeply concerning anti-refugee sentiment.

Professor Markham confiscates the flyer mid-conversation and uses it as a lecture piece, presenting it as a real regional warning tied to a surge in attempted border crossings. He claims that these infiltrators often spread false rumors of attacks, including the destruction of cities by dragons, which he blatantly calls propaganda. Violet’s anger builds as he continues to spew these government-sanctioned lies, especially knowing from firsthand experience that the attacks weren’t lies, and the destruction wasn’t caused by dragons—but by wyvern.

The pressure and fury from the truth she’s hiding cause Violet’s power to spike, almost beyond control. She barely restrains herself during class, even as her pen begins to smoke, and lightning itches beneath her skin. Rhiannon notices the signs and tries to check on her, but Violet brushes her off, unable to talk without lying. When the session ends, Violet runs out of the Battle Brief hall, barely making it into the courtyard before she releases her pent-up energy, unleashing a bolt of lightning near the wall. The display is risky, but it temporarily calms the boiling emotions threatening to overwhelm her.

Rhiannon catches up with her in the courtyard, but when Violet lies again, claiming she’s fine, the gap between them grows. Violet dodges further conversation and races to the only place she feels grounded—the Archives. She seeks comfort in the scent of parchment, glue, and familiarity. However, when she arrives, she finds the Archives crowded with scribes, all of whom turn to stare at her. She shouldn't be there at that hour, but Jesinia steps in, vouching for Violet and defusing the tension by claiming she’s just an arrogant rider being impatient.

Jesinia pulls Violet aside and scolds her for breaking their agreed rule of only meeting on Saturdays, warning that doing otherwise puts them both at risk. Violet tries to explain her urgency, her desperation, and when Jesinia asks what will happen if she doesn’t find the answers she’s searching for, Violet confesses that people will die. Jesinia listens, then once again chooses to help, promising to bring another book later that evening. Despite her disappointment in Violet’s recklessness, she remains committed, though she reminds Violet again that exposing the truth comes with dangerous consequences.

The chapter ends with Violet once more recognizing the cost of her secrecy—how much trust she’s jeopardizing with her friends like Rhiannon—and how much danger she’s inviting for allies like Jesinia. And yet, she remains trapped by the truth and the burden of the war that’s coming.

Iron Flame – Chapter Eighteen Recap

Violet is caught off guard when Xaden arrives early on Saturday morning, finding her buried in books on the floor. His exhaustion is clear, but his presence lifts her spirits even as tension simmers beneath their surface-level banter. They both avoid their deeper emotions—Violet refusing to admit she wants more from him than just physical intimacy, and Xaden withholding words she longs to hear. She tries to deflect by joking about the books and his smell, but their undercurrent of longing remains strong. The moment gets more serious when he notices the borrowed texts from Jesinia and instantly understands she’s researching the First Six and the wards. His reaction is swift and furious, especially when he realizes Violet is risking herself to understand how to replicate the ancient protective magic for Aretia. Violet refuses to back down, insisting she’ll keep digging until she uncovers the truth—even if it's buried somewhere the scribes have tried to hide. Despite his anger, Xaden agrees to accompany her to the Archives when she insists Jesinia can be trusted.

Jesinia is surprised to see Xaden but holds her ground as Violet returns the last book and requests new ones. Jesinia’s subtle commentary on The Fables of the Barren proves she’s observant and perceptive without crossing lines, winning Xaden's reluctant approval. They leave the Archives with new books, but the fight reignites in the tunnels. Violet emphasizes that she’s risking herself because he won’t trust her enough to involve her, while he’s furious she’s putting herself in danger on his behalf without telling him. Their conversation erupts into a painful exchange where both accuse the other of demanding trust without offering it in return. The emotional divide deepens as Xaden walks away, choosing distance over more hurtful words. When Violet wakes up the next morning, she finds his side of the bed empty—his belongings gone. The unresolved fight leaves her hollow, fearing this might be their new pattern: constant pushing, pulling, and unspoken words, especially knowing they could die before ever making peace.

Iron Flame – Chapter Nineteen Recap

As Violet and her squad head toward the field for flight maneuvers, she is immediately tense, especially under the watchful, calculating eyes of Vice Commandant Varrish and his dragon Solas. Varrish seems to delight in Andarna’s absence, and the physical and emotional toll of Violet’s recent signet training punishments have left her drained, struggling to keep up. The squad discusses the odd pairing of Varrish and Solas, with Rhiannon and Sawyer picking up on the unsettling tension, though they remain unaware of the full depth of what Violet has been enduring. When Varrish publicly accuses Violet of dereliction of duty for Andarna’s absence and orders her punishment again, Violet braces herself for more suffering—only for Tairn to intervene with a fury none of them have seen before. In a stunning show of dragon defiance, Tairn openly challenges Varrish’s authority, stating that no dragon answers to man, and lunges at Solas, biting into his neck and bleeding him in front of everyone. This powerful act forces Varrish into submission, and under the pressure of every dragon present taking Tairn’s side, he is humiliated into apologizing on his knees. Though Violet is spared for now, the burning look in Varrish’s eyes promises retribution. Later, while walking to the flight field for leave, Violet and Rhiannon finally confront the emotional chasm between them. Violet, worn thin by secrets and grief, explodes with raw truth about Liam’s death and the traumas she’s endured. Her rage and sorrow are palpable as she tells Rhiannon that Basgiath’s brutal training methods, like the Gauntlet, exist for a reason—to prepare them for the horror outside. Just when Violet begins to open up and offer more truths, Varrish arrives with guards, interrupting their moment. Though they search Violet again, Rhiannon escapes a similar inspection, and they both know the threat is still looming. Despite Violet’s apology for her outburst, Rhiannon expresses relief at finally hearing honesty from her, and Violet admits at last: nothing is all right.

Iron Flame – Chapter Twenty Recap

Violet arrives at Samara for her scheduled weekend visit, and as soon as she lands, the tension between her and Tairn rises due to their ongoing argument about whether she’ll ever be able to perform a running landing—a graduation requirement. Violet insists on finding a solution that meets the expectations without breaking her bones, and Tairn agrees reluctantly. As she crosses the field, burdened by the heavy, magic-infused packs, she’s met by Xaden, who suddenly demands that she kiss him—for show, claiming he needs to make a point. Although stunned, Violet complies, and the kiss quickly spirals into something intense and real, making her forget everything and lose control in front of an entire crowd, including her sister Mira, who has just been reassigned to Samara.

Mira watches with shock and disapproval as Violet and Xaden embrace, immediately suspecting that this is more than just casual. Though Violet tries to play it off, Mira sees through her and correctly guesses that Violet is falling in love. To cool off and avoid further emotional entanglement, Mira drags Violet to throw knives in the gym, where they banter and bond like they used to. Violet nearly cracks under the pressure of hiding so much truth, especially about Brennan being alive, and she almost tells Mira everything. But the fear of putting her in danger keeps her quiet. Instead, she tries to probe Mira for information about the wards, hoping Mira’s signet—which allows her to extend them—might offer insights. Mira explains that the wards are like an umbrella extended from the wardstone, boosted by magical alloy and dragons at outposts. But Mira has no knowledge of how the wardstone actually works or how to weave new wards from scratch, making it clear that even powerful riders like her aren’t privy to that information.

Desperate, Violet raises the idea that the damage in Poromiel might have been caused by wyvern rather than dragons, subtly trying to pull Mira toward the truth. But Mira dismisses the theory gently, blaming lack of sleep and combat trauma, offering to help with tea rather than treating the idea seriously. Violet realizes with heartbreak that she cannot share the truth, not even with her beloved sister, and agrees to Mira’s assumption that she’s just tired. Later that night, Xaden joins her in bed, and the emotional weight finally pushes Violet to confess how lonely and fractured she feels, hiding so much from everyone she loves—including him. To her surprise, Xaden listens without judgment, opening up in return, and they agree that while they both keep secrets, they must at least never hide things that would affect the other’s choices or safety.

In a rare moment of honesty and tenderness, Xaden shares that he can’t fully block Violet out either, admitting their mental bond runs deeper than they knew. He also reveals something huge: that alloy, the power source for ward extensions, is partially made from dragon egg shells, which still retain magic after hatching. The two fall asleep entwined, their emotional and physical intimacy rekindled, and though Violet doesn’t say the words, Xaden quietly whispers, “You love me”, knowing the truth even if she can’t bring herself to admit it out loud—yet.

Iron Flame – Chapter Twenty-One Recap

Violet begins the day in pain, her arm in a sling after a failed rolling dismount during maneuvers. Though she's told to rest for four weeks, she’s determined to heal faster, knowing the challenge board and looming graduation won’t wait. During history class with Rhiannon, Ridoc, and Sawyer, Professor Devera steps in to teach, announcing that Professor Levini is gone due to an attack on the Eastern Wing, where a graduate named Masen Sanborn has died. Violet is immediately suspicious, suspecting the attack might be a cover-up for assassinating one of the six survivors from the Athebyne mission. Devera leads a tense but revealing discussion about the losses caused by Navarre's unification, including dead languages, suppressed cultures, lost folklore, and forbidden historical texts—a conversation that strikes home for Violet, Rhiannon, and others with Tyrrish roots.

Later that afternoon during combat challenges, Violet is stunned when her former best friend Dain—now her wingleader—challenges her to a fight, despite her injury. Violet is down an arm, and Dain is disarmed, but the challenge is calculated and cruel. As the fight begins, Violet holds her own with training honed by Xaden, but Dain eventually pins her—bringing his face dangerously close in an attempt to access her memories. Violet threatens to kill him if he tries. During their quiet exchange, Dain admits he reported what he saw in the stolen memory to his father and claims he didn’t know about the ambush at Athebyne. He also says something horrifying—that General Sorrengail, Violet’s own mother, carved the scars into Xaden’s back. Dain eventually taps out, but the damage is done. Violet walks off the mat furious and shaken.

Rhiannon immediately pulls Violet aside and confronts her about the fight. Violet admits that Dain stole one of her memories, but she refuses to go deeper, knowing that telling the full truth would endanger Rhiannon. Rhi is smart, though—she’s starting to put pieces together, especially about the deaths of riders like Masen and Ciaran, and suspects there’s more to what happened at Resson. Violet pleads with her to stop asking questions, especially when Rhiannon presses about what really killed Deigh, but the guilt of hiding the truth from her closest friend continues to weigh Violet down.

As the chapter ends, Violet walks Aaric to the infirmary, still reeling from Rhiannon’s questions and everything Dain said. But then Aaric—whose real name is Camaaric, heir to a royal line—drops a bombshell: he knows the truth. He’s seen daggers with metal discs, spotted patterns, and confirms he’s here because of what’s being hidden. Violet is stunned, and as he points out, dragons don’t answer to kings, which means once he passes Threshing, his father can’t control him.

This new alliance could change everything.

Iron Flame – Chapter Twenty-Two Recap

Violet wakes from a terrifying nightmare where she’s being hunted by a Venin, a dark wielder with death and desolation in his wake. Immobilized and suspended midair, she hears him offer a choice: join him or die. He speaks of her power, and how he’s waited centuries for someone like her. When she refuses, she’s hit with a wave of agonizing pain that leeches her energy—until she wakes, heart racing, her dagger in hand. Just a dream, but one that feels too real.

Later that Saturday, Violet is walking with Xaden, who is finally about to show her the forge, the source of the weapons and luminaries the revolution needs. Her heart swells with trust, feeling the significance of being let in on such a massive secret. In return, she shares a secret of her own: she found an ancient reference to the First Six carving the original wardstone, which implies that another one might exist in Aretia, and she’s determined to find firsthand accounts to confirm it. But before they reach the forge, their path is blocked.

Major Varrish stands at the foot of the stairs, and Professor Grady appears with Ridoc—his hands bound behind him. Violet’s stomach sinks. Rhiannon and Sawyer appear next, also restrained. Their squad has been chosen for the next round of interrogation training, the brutal torture simulation that tests the limits of second-years’ loyalty and mental endurance. Violet immediately recognizes the danger—Xaden is carrying contraband, and any exposure could mean death.

Xaden instinctively steps between her and danger, forming a shadow barrier to protect her. His fury is palpable, and when Varrish mocks them, threatening to cancel her leave next weekend (thereby separating Tairn and Sgaeyl), it nearly pushes Xaden over the edge. Violet knows better. She reaches out to Sgaeyl, pleading through their bond, urging her to convince Xaden to stand down for the sake of the dragons.

Eventually, Xaden drops the barrier, but the tension between him and Varrish makes one thing very clear: this war between them isn’t over. Violet bravely steps forward to be bound, despite her dislocated shoulder, and subtly passes a message to Xaden about a book on her desk—continuing their coded conversations through book references, asking him to pass a request to Sgaeyl and return the text to the Archives.

As Violet is led away for interrogation, Xaden says goodbye with the reminder that though her body may be fragile, she is unbreakable. She repeats the word to herself, holding on to that strength as she prepares to face the darkness ahead.

Iron Flame – Chapter Twenty-Three Recap

The chapter begins with Violet and her squad—Rhiannon, Ridoc, and Sawyer—being escorted into a hidden training facility carved into the cliffside below the Riders Quadrant. It's cleverly concealed but uncomfortably accessible for its grim purpose: interrogation training. They are disarmed upon entry, and Violet is handed a seemingly innocuous secret phrase to protect: “The key can be found in my desk drawer.” The antechamber resembles an office, but the two adjoining rooms—one filled with steel-braced doors, barred windows, and a scarred interrogation chair—make it clear that this training will be brutal.

Professor Grady explains that this portion is not yet the graded scenario but a classroom-style instructional simulation designed to teach them how to resist torture and interrogation. He frees their hands, provides a final explanation, and orders them to share a real secret with each other before things begin. Their group eats simple food—biscuits with jam—and is given pewter mugs with what appears to be apple juice. Violet immediately senses something is off—it smells like the same liquid used before land navigation training to block dragon bonds and dull signets. They all dump the liquid down the toilet discreetly, agreeing to fake the disconnect from their dragons and abilities. As they finish their meager meal, they exchange personal confessions: Rhiannon snuck out to see her family last year with Violet; Sawyer admits he never told his family he failed his first year; Ridoc confesses a fear of snakes; and Violet, after trying to hide behind her love for Xaden, finally shares a painful truth—the infantry is executing Poromish civilians at the border.

Their unity is short-lived. When Grady returns, he reminds them the lesson has already begun—they're always in scenario—and promptly chains Ridoc, Sawyer, and Rhiannon to the wall in the blood-splattered interrogation chamber, while Violet is shackled to a drain-seated wooden chair. Grady says he’ll be outside to observe and assess but won't participate further—interrogation must come from those the cadets don't know. After he leaves, two unremarkable riders enter: a man with a physiological signet that detects lies and a woman who immediately starts the beatings. Violet becomes their first target—slapped hard enough to draw blood and blur her vision, yet she maintains her silence. The others protest loudly, but the woman turns her fists on Ridoc, pummeling him for shock value. Violet tries to shield her squadmates emotionally, warning them not to react, but the room becomes a crucible of pain, restraint, and psychological warfare.

Hours pass in excruciating silence, their physical wounds mounting while they resist the temptation to break. When Violet briefly lowers her shields, she learns from Xaden that it’s nearing midnight—they still have a full night left. Soon, the male interrogator returns, offering water in exchange for a personal detail about another squad member. Each refuses. Then, the real terror arrives: Major Varrish, bringing with him Wingleader Dain Aetos. His smiling, enthusiastic demeanor is far more chilling than the beatings. Varrish declares that this is taking too long, and he’s brought in Dain to speed things up. Violet and her squad exchange looks of dread and betrayal. Dain’s presence, especially with his ability to steal memories, is a threat far more dangerous than fists. And now, he’s going to be used against them.

Iron Flame – Chapter Twenty-Four Recap

Dain arrives during the interrogation, and Violet’s heart sinks, knowing that if he uses his classified signet—the ability to read memories through touch—everything she’s been hiding, including the truth about the revolution, Aretia, and Brennan, could be exposed. Xaden warns her telepathically that he’s on his way, but Violet insists he stay away to prevent Varrish from suspecting anything and escalating the situation. Varrish encourages Dain to use his ability under the pretense of national security, manipulating him with jealousy and power, even suggesting he could learn why Violet chose Xaden. As Dain approaches Violet, she prepares for the worst, but in a moment of restraint and lingering morality, he refuses and walks out. Varrish, disappointed, reverts to violence and punches Violet in her injured shoulder, knocking her unconscious. Violet wakes up healed by Healer Nolon, who informs her that the interrogation has been extended, and he’s been ordered to remain nearby to mend her repeatedly. Nolon, disturbed by what he sees, subtly gives her an opening to escape. He loudly stages a conversation with Varrish about needing help with another patient, leaving the door unlocked but appearing closed. Violet and Rhiannon realize they’re alone and discuss how dangerous Varrish has become, suspecting he may even try to kill Violet. When Ridoc and Sawyer press for answers, Violet insists she can’t tell them the truth—it’s too dangerous—but they choose to help her escape anyway. Sawyer uses his signet to melt the door hinges, and with teamwork, they catch the door before it crashes down, slipping out and reclaiming their weapons. However, they’re confronted with a second locked door. As Violet nears it, her Tyrrish dagger heats up and vibrates, and when she brushes the handle, the lock clicks open, shocking everyone. Though unsure if it's coincidence or something magical, they seize the chance, and Violet throws open the door as their daring escape begins.

Iron Flame – Chapter Twenty-Five Recap

After escaping the underground interrogation chambers, Violet and her squad burst into the daylight, only to be intercepted by Professor Grady, who—surprisingly—congratulates them and awards them the escape patch, a silver circle with a black key, validating their success. Over the next few days, Dain avoids Violet, who still grapples with what happened and can’t muster any gratitude for him sparing her privacy during interrogation. Despite being healed with no visible injuries, Violet feels the weight of Trysten’s death, a first-year lost during Gauntlet practice while they were being tested. As they ascend to Battle Brief, Rhiannon reveals another second-year, Sorrel, died during their own interrogation. The Riders Quadrant is still reeling. Before class begins, squads from First Wing, including Caroline Ashton, corner Violet’s team, asking how they escaped. Violet and Rhiannon deflect with vague advice, adhering to the classified nature of the patch. Inside the briefing room, chaos unfolds when every cadet finds a leaflet on their seat announcing that the Poromish city of Zolya has fallen to dragon fire, with ten thousand civilians dead, including General Fenella, and no survivors. Violet quickly assesses that the leaflets were printed within Navarre, likely without official approval, as the ink is fresh and there's no seal—implying someone within is leaking real information. Markham, visibly agitated though hiding it behind control, launches into a brutal discredit-deflect-distract routine, declaring the class too immature to handle a discussion on propaganda. He demands the leaflets be handed in, subtly dismantling any potential belief in their authenticity by questioning the logistics of an all-blue-dragon riot. Just as the room begins to settle, Markham shifts the focus to a so-called celebration, revealing a shocking return: Jack Barlowe, the unhinged rider Violet had killed during War Games by collapsing a cliff on him, has been mended by Nolon and is alive. The room erupts in applause as Jack enters, led by Caroline Ashton. His appearance is eerily familiar—same hair, same build, same icy glare—and when his eyes meet Violet’s, it’s clear that the threat is not over. Her squadmates are stunned, and any hope that Jack may have changed is quickly replaced by dread. It’s obvious to them all: Jack is back, and he’s definitely going to try to kill Violet again.

Iron Flame – Chapter Twenty-Six Recap

As Jack Barlowe takes his seat in Battle Brief, seemingly calm and even offering Violet a soft smile, the squad struggles to process the return of the boy Violet killed last year—a boy whose resurrection via Baide and mender Nolon defies reason and invokes both fear and rage among them. Tairn confirms it’s him, advising vigilance, while Violet stays composed, reminding herself that she’s stronger now and has fought worse. Before they can dwell further, Professor Devera announces a new threat: an unprecedented attack on the outpost of Samara, which sends shock and dread ripping through Violet’s chest, as that is where Xaden and Mira are stationed. The attack was close in timing and intensity, with three drifts of gryphon riders assaulting the post, and though the outpost was successfully defended by three riders not on patrol, one rider has been severely wounded. Devera subtly scratches the left side of her neck, signaling that the injured one is Xaden, whose relic lies in that exact spot, and Violet instantly knows—without confirmation—that he is hurt. Overcome by urgency, terror, and the overwhelming pull of her bond with Tairn and Sgaeyl, Violet abandons the lecture, ignoring Markham’s warnings about unauthorized leave, and races through the halls toward the courtyard, where Tairn is already waiting to fly her to Samara. As she rushes out, Bodhi stops her only to offer his flight jacket, understanding the desperate bond-pull and supporting her escape without questions. Violet is consumed by one truth: she cannot be here when Xaden is wounded, and she will not let anyone or anything stop her from reaching him.

Iron Flame – Chapter Twenty-Seven Recap

As Violet and Tairn arrive at Samara, the emotional chaos that’s been tearing through her is barely manageable, driven in part by Tairn’s bond with Sgaeyl but mostly by her own desperation to see Xaden alive and safe. Ignoring Mira’s protests and the crumbling fortress around her, Violet sprints straight to the sparring gym, only to find Xaden completely fine, actively training with Garrick, which replaces her terror with pure fury and volatile longing. Overwhelmed, unable to separate Tairn’s emotions from her own, she collapses into Xaden’s arms, prompting him to douse them in cold water until she can raise her shields. But as anger and relief clash, they argue, revealing just how deep their love, fear, and obsession with each other runs—especially when Xaden reveals a massive scar from a battle wound that hadn’t yet fully healed. That moment collapses all restraint, and the two fall into a desperate, emotional, and fiercely passionate reunion, not born from control or strategy, but from mutual need and the terrifying almost-loss of each other. Every touch, kiss, and thrust is a claim and a confession—both silent and spoken—that they cannot stay away. Xaden confesses how deeply he dreams of her, fights for her, and loses control only because it’s her. Violet, still unable to say I love you, instead gives him what she can: her undeniable need, her willingness to stay, and her whole self in that moment. In the aftermath of explosive intimacy and emotional vulnerability, Xaden presents three options, but before he even finishes, Violet leaps up, ready to pursue the mission to drop the daggers, proving once more that as deeply as she loves, she’s still driven by purpose.

Iron Flame – Chapter Twenty-Eight Recap

Violet and Xaden embark on a midnight flight beyond the wards to meet the Poromish fliers and deliver a batch of daggers, but Tairn’s overprotectiveness forces Violet to stay mounted, reminding her of just how close they are to enemy airspace. When Syrena and her drift of gryphon riders arrive, tensions flare, especially with the cold, beautiful younger flier named Catriona (Cat), whose thinly veiled resentment and familiarity with Xaden make Violet’s instincts scream. Violet, still strapped to Tairn’s saddle, watches as Xaden confronts Syrena about the recent attack at Samara, where a gryphon nearly took his arm, and demands that they cease all raids on Navarrian outposts for weapons. Xaden holds his ground, warning that if their people continue threatening Navarre’s wardstones, he’ll halt the supply drops, even if it condemns them. Syrena insists she can’t control every drift, and though her tone is measured, the real tension is with Cat, whose possessive glances and biting remarks about a luminary trade Xaden refused hint at a history with him—and possibly at a viscount’s demands for Violet in exchange. When Cat accuses him of being smitten and jeopardizing their kingdom over one woman, Xaden doesn’t deny his loyalty to Violet, but he doesn’t explain it either, leaving Violet simmering with questions and suspicion. The trade ends with twenty-three daggers exchanged, and though the fliers agree to pull back on attacks, Syrena warns that they’re a year or less away from the venin. As they part ways, Syrena gives a rare show of respect to Violet and Tairn, but Violet’s thoughts spiral the moment she hears Cat’s full name—Catriona, the same woman Bodhi once said Xaden had never cared about the way he does for Violet. The look Cat gives Xaden, full of past and desire, hits Violet like a blade: not just longing, but memory.

Iron Flame – Chapter Twenty-Nine Recap

After flying back from the rendezvous, Violet confronts her storm of emotions upon realizing Catriona is Xaden’s ex, battling a mixture of jealousy, insecurity, and anxiety, only for Tairn to chide her and remind her that two dragons chose her, unlike Cat. Once back inside Navarre’s wards, Violet dismounts and shares a rare moment of tenderness with Xaden, which quickly shifts into a critical conversation where she learns that Viscount Tecarus wants her—specifically, to see her wield lightning—in exchange for the luminary needed to complete the Aretian forge. Though Xaden refuses to risk her, Violet makes it clear the choice is ultimately hers, and the moment is cut with both tension and love. As they walk back, she casually drops bombshells about Varrish dislocating her shoulder, the venin-suppressing elixir, Dain’s refusal to use his signet, and Jack Barlowe’s return, overwhelming Xaden with the sheer chaos she’s endured. When she returns to Basgiath the next day, she’s immediately spotted, and Varrish, with his goons, corners her outside her room, forcing her to hand over Xaden’s flight jacket and her bag—just as Professor Kaori arrives and skillfully derails the interrogation by invoking Tairn’s overpowering emotional influence as justification for Violet’s unsanctioned departure. Kaori defuses the situation and saves Violet from court-martial, clearly signaling he’s one of her few allies. But as soon as Varrish leaves, Violet is dragged inside by Rhiannon, where she learns that Rhi used her signet for the first time to pull the hidden dagger through the wall—the very dagger for killing venin. Realizing how much danger they’re all in, Violet decides to stop hiding and finally tells her closest friends the truth.

Iron Flame – Chapter Thirty Recap

Violet finally confesses almost everything to Rhiannon, Sawyer, and Ridoc about the truth of the venin, the daggers, the ward theory, Aretia, and the growing war—everything except her stay there, which would compromise Xaden and Brennan’s secrets. Though her friends are shocked, none abandon her; instead, they support her unconditionally, vowing to stand by her and help her find a way to rebuild the wards by diving into restricted texts with her. A spark of hope is lit when Ridoc recalls a classified ledger in Lilith Sorrengail’s office referencing the journals of Lyra and Warrick, founders of the wards, possibly stored in a sublevel vault unknown to the Archives. Jesinia begins hunting, but weeks pass with Andarna still asleep, Violet juggling squad duty and missions, and Tairn increasingly restless about being separated from Sgaeyl and Xaden. Just as Threshing begins for the first-years—including Sloane, who successfully bonds with a red daggertail like her brother—Jesinia sends a coded missive confirming she’s found a tome, and Ridoc leaves to meet her while Violet climbs the burn tower for her watch shift. There, she runs into Eya, and within minutes, four infantry assassins—sent to silence Violet—attack them with deadly precision. Violet and Eya fight valiantly, but Eya is fatally stabbed, and Violet is nearly thrown off the turret. She barely clings to the stone lip of the tower with bleeding hands, her feet dangling over open air, as one last assassin moves to finish her—only to be suddenly killed by a dagger shoved through his throat from behind by an unknown rescuer, leaving Violet gasping, dangling between life and death.

Iron Flame – Chapter Thirty-One Recap

Violet clings to the edge of the turret, her body bloodied and shoulders screaming in pain, certain she’s moments from death—until she’s saved by Jack Barlowe, of all people, who hauls her back over the edge with sheer brute strength. Reeling from shock, she processes the impossible: Jack, the boy she killed, just saved her life, claiming he didn’t know it was her at first but did it because riders don’t die at the hands of infantry. He says they’re even now, giving Violet the same second chance that facing death once gave him. As he walks away, she retrieves her daggers, sits against the wall, and stares at the boots of Eya, who died fighting beside her. The grief is immediate and crushing—half of those who flew into Resson are now dead, and Violet knows Aetos won’t stop until they’re all gone, targeting them one by one. Ridoc finds her moments later and checks her for wounds, shocked at what happened. Violet, shaken and cold, tells him simply to sit with her while it passes. Then Ridoc delivers bittersweet news: Jesinia has found the location of the vault that may hold the journals of Lyra and Warrick, but it’s hidden within the royal vault, requiring someone with King Tauri’s bloodline to access it. Violet, even through her trauma, finds her resolve—and a path forward—because they already know a prince who hates the king.

Iron Flame – Chapter Thirty-Two Recap

Xaden is furious when he learns that Violet revealed part of their secret to Rhiannon, Ridoc, Sawyer, and Quinn, especially since it risked exposing the dagger and thereby linking Xaden and the marked ones to illegal weapon smuggling—but he eventually calms down, listening as Violet explains how Rhiannon saved her life by retrieving the dagger just in time. When Violet proposes going after the First Six’s journals in the restricted royal vault of the Archives, Xaden reluctantly agrees, especially after she confesses that this mission is their only shot at discovering how to rebuild the wardstones. The chapter is emotionally charged as Violet initiates a kiss—this one slow, tender, and laced with intention—symbolizing that she’s choosing Xaden, not just in passion but in purpose. Their plan requires help from Aaric, who is revealed to be King Tauri’s son, and though he initially refuses, his hatred for both Xaden (for killing his brother Alic) and especially his father ultimately wins out, and he agrees to help. The team—eight riders disguised as scribes—executes a covert infiltration of the Archives, splitting up to avoid detection while Jesinia leads a smaller team (Violet, Xaden, Aaric, and Imogen) into the deepest part of the Archives, where a hidden rotating bookcase reveals a spiral staircase leading to the royal vault. Every second counts, with only forty-five minutes left before the Archive doors seal for the night, which would mean death or court-martial. Jesinia warns them this is as far as she can go, and the group begins their steep descent, prepared to break the rules—and possibly the law—in their desperate attempt to uncover the ancient knowledge needed to save their world.

Iron Flame – Chapter Thirty-Three Recap

As Violet, Xaden, Imogen, and Aaric descend into the hidden royal vault beneath the Archives, tension mounts with every step into the heavily warded and restricted area, where even the lights are magical and guards must be neutralized to proceed. Aaric impulsively yanks Violet through the wards without warning, causing a surge of nausea and magical backlash that proves only royal blood and bonded riders can pass, confirming her importance—but enraging Xaden, who cannot follow. Inside, they search frantically through ancient bookshelves and cabinets, hoping to find the original journals of Lyra and Warrick, the First Six who created the original wardstones. Time bleeds away as they fight rising panic, unsure if the secrets even exist, until Violet realizes that to protect against light decay, the journals must be hidden under the centerpiece pedestal. Removing the velvet cloth, they discover two small, leather-bound books, protected by another layer of intense wards that blister Aaric’s hands when he retrieves them. Violet stashes the journals in two scribe satchels, and with less than two minutes before the deadly Archive wards lock them in overnight, the team sprints back through the maze of hallways and up the staircase. As the bell chimes signal the Archive door sealing, they race toward the entrance—Xaden uses his shadows to slow the closing, pushing Violet through first. With each toll of the bell, the gap narrows. Imogen clears it. But when Violet turns to look back, Aaric and Xaden are still inside—and with the seventh bell pealing, time is up.

Iron Flame – Chapter Thirty-Four Recap

Xaden barely manages to yank Aaric through the closing Archive door just in time, and the group quickly discards their disguises and returns to their quadrant according to the plan, while Violet ensures Aaric receives treatment for his severely blistered hands from a discreet healer named Dyre. Jesinia takes the laundry bags to maintain cover, and Rhiannon, Quinn, Sawyer, and Ridoc scatter to create alibis. Once safe, Violet and Xaden share a victorious and passionate kiss in a secluded alcove, celebrating that they’ve successfully stolen Warrick and Lyra’s journals—critical firsthand accounts of how the First Six created the wardstones. Violet translates a line from Warrick’s journal indicating the wardstone was placed where the deepest currents of magic run, activated at the birth of an iron rain, confirming they have what they need. She gives one journal to Xaden to take to Brennan, hiding it in his flight jacket as he prepares to leave for Aretia that very night, ensuring redundancy and safety. After another kiss filled with longing, he departs under the cover of night while Violet remains, riding a high of hope and certainty that they’re winning, they’re building something. But everything crashes when she’s approached by Healer Nolon, who kindly offers her her favorite lemonade. After drinking it, Violet realizes—too late—that she’s been drugged. Her mental bond to Tairn fades, her vision blurs, and her limbs go weak. Nolon, full of regret, says he can’t protect her from the consequences of risking Navarre’s security. As the drug takes full effect and she hits the gravel, Vice Commandant Varrish looms above, mockingly questioning her actions—revealing the ultimate betrayal by someone Violet trusted with her life.

Iron Flame – Chapter Thirty-Five Recap

Violet wakes up drugged, bound, and imprisoned in Basgiath’s brig, being interrogated by Major Varrish, with Healer Nolon acting as the reluctant accomplice. She quickly realizes they’ve discovered she stole Lyra’s journal, but they don’t know who helped her, which confirms her friends are still safe. However, things escalate when it’s revealed that Nora, a truth-sayer, is also present, making lies impossible. Violet navigates the interrogation with carefully crafted truth, refusing to give up names or motives, even under excruciating torture. Varrish systematically breaks her, dislocating and shattering her bones, dosing her with a serum to cut off her bond with Tairn, and using his classified signet — the ability to see people’s weaknesses — to emotionally manipulate her. In the depths of pain, Liam appears to her as a hallucination, staying by her side, encouraging her not to give in. Days pass. She’s repeatedly broken, mended, and beaten again while remaining silent. Her hallucination of Liam is her anchor, reminding her why she must endure. Varrish ultimately reveals that he’s using Violet as bait to trap Xaden, intending to shatter him by capturing her. When Violet refuses to betray anything, Dain Aetos is brought in to use his signet to extract her memories. Despite her terror, Violet seizes control and pulls Dain into the worst of her memories — Resson, the wyvern, Liam’s death, and the horrifying truth about Navarre’s lies and the venin. Dain sees it all — but still concludes that Violet is smuggling weapons and accuses her of betraying the kingdom, completely misinterpreting everything. Varrish presses him to reveal Aretia’s location, but Dain asks for her dagger under the pretense of confirming the memory — and in a stunning twist, stabs Varrish, cuts Violet free, and helps her up. As they attempt escape, Nora attacks, but a mysterious figure slices Nora’s throat from behind. Violet, barely conscious and overwhelmed, looks up to see a pair of gold-flecked onyx eyes — and realizes that Xaden has arrived, just as all hell breaks loose.

Iron Flame – Chapter Thirty-Six Recap

Xaden arrives in the cell in a rage, drenched in blood, ready to kill Dain, believing he’s betrayed Violet, but she stops him just in time, telling him that Dain saved her. Xaden holds Violet with such tenderness that even in her broken state, she feels safe for the first time in days. Garrick arrives, reporting chaos above as leadership rushes to the border. Varrish, still barely alive, accuses Dain of treason, but Xaden, with lethal intent, binds him with shadows and offers Violet the chance to kill him. Though her body is barely functioning, Violet drives the dagger into Varrish’s heart with Xaden’s help, ensuring his death. Emotion floods her as the enormity of the moment sets in—she just killed the Vice Commandant, and Xaden risked everything to save her. He insists on leaving immediately, but Violet, even in her weakened state, refuses to risk losing access to Basgiath’s weapons cache and urges him to think carefully. Xaden confesses his love, raw and absolute, swearing to die with her if she ever does. When Garrick reports trouble on the stairs, Xaden lifts Violet and they ascend—only to find General Sorrengail, Violet’s mother, with a sword at Garrick’s throat. Instead of attacking, she hands Violet the antidote for the serum and explains that she didn’t know Violet was being tortured. In a shocking reveal, she admits to having struck a deal with Xaden a year ago—he could bring the marked ones into the quadrant in exchange for protecting Violet if she survived the parapet. She confesses to being the one who gave Xaden the knife scars on his back and admits that she placed Violet in the Riders Quadrant because she knew the Scribes would eventually kill her for seeking the truth. Violet is devastated to learn how much of her life has been manipulated, but she takes the antidote and lets her mother help her climb the final stairs. At the top, Xaden is waiting. Violet insists they must give the rest of the cadets a choice to leave with them before leadership locks everything down. Dain agrees to call a formation, and what follows is a mass exodus. Dain addresses the entire quadrant in the courtyard, revealing the truth about Resson, and the venin and wyvern. Some cadets scream denial, but others begin to believe as their dragons share memories. Chaos erupts, but Xaden uses his shadows to force silence and command attention. Violet sees Jesinia and two other scribes joining with packed bags, and Tairn promises to carry them—but only this once. Professors emerge, furious, but Bodhi neutralizes Carr’s attack, revealing his ability to counter signets, and dragons begin landing all over the campus—more than two hundred in total. Professor Devera chooses to join them, revealing she’s the one who planted hints about Zolya. With the riders rallying, Xaden gives them one final chance to choose: fight for Navarre or fight for the Continent. Within the hour, nearly half the quadrant chooses to leave, flying south in a massive, unified riot of riders and dragons. Violet sleeps most of the way, too injured to remain conscious. By the time they land in Aretia, she’s broken, bruised, and exhausted. Xaden helps her off Tairn and into Brennan’s arms. Brennan is shocked and furious to see the state she’s in, demanding to know what happened. Violet simply tells him, Xaden got her out. When Brennan asks what they’ve done, Violet looks back at the riot in the sky and tells him, he said he needed riders.

Iron Flame – Chapter Thirty-Seven Recap

Violet begins the chapter trapped in another recurring nightmare, haunted by the Sage and tormented by the threat of being hunted even beyond the wards, but this time she wakes in a safe place—Xaden’s bedroom in Riorson House, Aretia. She is fully mended, and for the first time in days, free of pain. Xaden is asleep beside her, vulnerable and beautiful, the silver scars on his back a testament to the burdens he’s carried for others. Moved by his sacrifice, Violet initiates an intimate encounter, needing to reclaim her body, her strength, and her life. Their passion is raw and consuming, both of them needing the other to feel alive, real, and whole after the horrors they've endured. Afterward, Violet insists he wards the room given how loud she was, only to find out he already had, making her smile. Once they emerge from his room, they find the once-quiet Riorson House is packed with cadets, the result of the riot they led away from Basgiath. Violet is hit by the weight of her decision, wondering if she’s made a terrible mistake by bringing so many here when Aretia wasn’t prepared. They meet Rhiannon and the squad, who have been waiting without guidance, and Violet promises to get answers. Xaden takes her to meet with the Assembly, where they’re greeted with outrage, especially from members like Suri and Ulices, who accuse them of destroying everything the rebellion has built. Xaden defends their actions, taking full responsibility for the cadets, including Dain and the scribes, while also revealing they now possess Warrick’s journal, containing cryptic instructions on activating wardstones. The revelation shocks the Assembly, and Violet affirms that Jesinia helped recover it, making her essential. Despite the tension, Xaden reminds the Assembly that this is his house, and he bears the binding scar on his chest not only for the marked ones but now for Violet as well, making her his responsibility. This public admission shocks Violet, who realizes the mark is the same size as the ones for his other oaths, meaning Xaden bound himself to her after Resson, tying her fate to Aretia. Ulices wants her confined, but Brennan fiercely defends his sister, and Xaden warns that if they want him to sit in his rightful seventh Assembly seat, they must accept Violet. The room quiets, and the Assembly finally agrees to trust her, though they are still unsure how to train so many cadets without an operational forge. They worry the rebellion may lose the war for lack of weapons, but Xaden counters that they also brought four professors and fighters. Battle-Ax complains about Dain and the scribes, but Xaden confirms they’ve all been vetted. Amid this chaos, something profound happens—a presence wraps around Violet's mind and whispers her name. For the first time in months, she feels whole again. Violet recognizes the voice—it’s Andarna—who has finally awakened, bringing Violet a sense of joy, wonder, and hope that is powerful enough to make her smile through everything. The chapter ends with the promise of healing, renewed connection, and the oncoming war.

Iron Flame – Chapter Thirty-Eight Recap

The chapter opens with Violet in the dragon-filled valley above Aretia, where she finally sees Andarna awake after her prolonged Dreamless Sleep. Violet is overwhelmed with relief and joy at seeing her dragon alive and growing, but something seems wrong—Andarna’s wing doesn’t fully extend, particularly her left one, and she struggles to flare it properly. When Violet’s concern accidentally leaks through their bond, Andarna grows defensive, insisting she isn’t broken. Tairn later explains that the rapid growth triggered by Andarna’s power use at Resson, combined with the delays in her sleep cycle and multiple flights, has resulted in underdeveloped secondary wing muscles, making it likely she’ll eventually fly—but she’ll never be able to bear a rider. This devastates Violet, who is left carrying the weight of guilt for pushing Andarna too hard. The narrative moves to classes and life in Aretia, where all the cadets are now under the instruction of rebel professors and Assembly members. Violet is actively working to translate Warrick’s journal, which contains strange references like “iron rain” and heavily implies blood magic was used in warding. Meanwhile, training continues under professors like Emetterio, and even Ulices teaches physics now, while “Battle-Ax” Kylynn is expected to lead flight lessons soon. Xaden is away with the lieutenants and Suri, and Violet anxiously awaits his return. During Battle Brief in the rebuilt theater, a massive map reveals dark wielder movement increasing, and Brennan delivers updates: Navarre’s public is unaware of the wyvern attacks, and families of the defected cadets haven’t been targeted. Brennan stresses that soon they’ll fight a war on two fronts—against Navarre and the venin—and the first-years of Fourth Wing earn the Iron Squad title, with Flame Section being uniquely intact. Violet admits to the others that she believes the First Six used blood magic, based on her translations. Then, shocking news arrives: fliers attacked Samara, injuring one dragon but killing no riders—an act driven by desperation for weapons. The news rattles Violet, especially fearing for Mira’s safety. But the real twist hits when a riot of dragons approaches Aretia, and Brennan orders everyone to the great hall. Violet realizes the incoming group is led by Teine—Mira’s dragon. Afraid, Violet runs through the fortress and into the courtyard just as Mira lands. Tairn threatens Teine in protection of Violet, but Mira dismounts and reveals they come peacefully—that Xaden sent for them, and General Sorrengail told the truth at Samara. Mira apologizes deeply, embracing Violet and finally acknowledging the truth she once denied. Violet asks if their mother really let them go, and Mira confirms—many riders were given the choice to leave, and nearly half of them did. Brennan appears, and the siblings reunite, filling Violet with a sense of completion and healing, until Mira walks up and punches Brennan square in the face for being alive all these years and not telling her.

Iron Flame – Chapter Thirty-Nine Recap

Brennan is bleeding heavily from the nose after Mira punches him for faking his death for six years. Violet orders a guard to get ice from Ridoc, using his signet, while Mira and Brennan scream at each other. Mira accuses Brennan of abandoning them, of causing their father’s death and their mother’s grief, while Brennan defends his choices, insisting it was for the good of the Continent. Violet finally intervenes, yelling at them both to stop, and shoves ice into Brennan’s hand, frustrated by their fighting. Just then, Xaden appears, safe and whole, bringing a sense of relief and grounding to Violet. She runs into his arms, and they share a sweet kiss. Their tender moment is interrupted by Mira and Brennan sarcastically commenting on their public displays of affection. When asked what the reunited Sorrengail siblings will do next, Violet answers with quiet resolve: she needs the blood of the six most powerful riders in residence because she knows how to raise the wards.

Hours later, Violet, Brennan, the Assembly, and Bodhi hike to a hidden wardstone chamber nestled inside a mountain above Aretia. The canyon is masked with ancient runes, and the wardstone is a massive, black pillar etched with circular carvings that mirror the design in Warrick’s journal. Violet reads the translated passage aloud—it requires the blood of the six most powerful riders and the one (herself), combined, to ignite the stone in an iron rain. Xaden, Brennan, Suri, Felix, Bodhi, and Violet are the chosen six. They each cut their palms and press their hands to the wardstone. Blood trickles down the surface, but nothing happens—no hum of magic, no reaction, no wards. The ritual fails.

Suri gives up first, followed by the others. Violet is devastated, having risked everything to retrieve the journal and uncover the lost magic. She blames herself, certain she’s failed everyone—her friends, her squad, Aretia. Xaden comforts her, repeating that she’ll try again, because that's who she is. Still reeling, Violet hears the others discussing negotiations with Viscount Tecarus, who controls the only other known luminary needed to forge weapons. Tecarus wants to see Violet wield her magic in exchange for letting them use the luminary, but Xaden refuses, insisting he won’t allow anyone to use her as a weapon.

Violet, furious at the failure and unwilling to leave Aretia defenseless, storms out of the ward chamber and demands that Tairn take her to Tecarus. Xaden refuses, so Violet leaves without waiting for permission. Brennan follows, recognizing the determined look on her face from their childhood. Back in Riorson House, they push through the dining hall to Mira’s table, where Violet announces, “I need your help.”

Iron Flame – Chapter Forty Recap

After Xaden refuses to let Violet go to Cordyn to meet Viscount Tecarus, she pretends to agree and then makes her own secret plan, deciding to leave with Brennan and Mira without informing him. The next morning, she begins lightning training with Felix, a member of the Assembly. They train on a remote, snow-covered mountainside where Violet struggles to aim and control her strikes, especially under pressure. Felix is brutally honest, telling her she’s been taught nothing about precision, only brute force. He explains that while she may be the most powerful lightning wielder of her generation, she’s wildly inaccurate and dangerous, essentially just a walking light show. He gives her a custom-built conduit orb, a glass and alloy sphere inscribed with Tyrrish runes that can help her siphon and stabilize her power. When Violet accidentally channels lightning through it, the orb glows, confirming it works. Felix explains that the problem is not her power, but her lack of training and understanding of runes, which Basgiath never taught. He warns her that if she doesn’t learn control, she’ll be a threat to everyone, even in flight. He agrees to teach her if she practices consistently, otherwise he won’t waste his time.

Later that night, under the cover of darkness, Violet, Mira, and Brennan depart for Cordyn. Violet knows she’s betraying Xaden’s trust by leaving, but feels it’s the only way to secure a luminary and start making the weapons they desperately need to fight the venin and defend Aretia. Mira agrees to help out of guilt for not believing Violet earlier, and Brennan goes as the only one with Assembly authority to make the deal. They fly through the freezing night, pass over the Cliffs of Dralor, and reach the coastal province of Krovla. As they approach the city of Cordyn, they’re met midair by a drift of gryphons in defensive formation. Violet notes the beauty and vulnerability of the marble palace, which seems more focused on aesthetics than defense. Tairn grumbles about the place being indefensible.

Once they land, they’re met by a wall of fliers and gryphons, who challenge them with intense scrutiny. One flier, a truth-sayer, demands a truth from each of them before they’ll be allowed to proceed. Violet admits her purpose is to wield lightning in exchange for help, Brennan says he’s there to negotiate for the luminary, and Mira threatens them all if they harm her sister. The truth-sayer accepts all three responses, and the gryphons part—revealing a furious Xaden standing in black, clearly having tracked them. He hasn’t looked at Violet this angrily since the first time they met, and it’s clear she’s in deep trouble. She may have secured entry, but she’s also just shattered the fragile trust she’s been building with him.

Iron Flame – Chapter Forty-One Recap

Tensions rise immediately as Violet and her siblings are escorted into the stunning palace of Viscount Tecarus in Cordyn. Violet is furious at Xaden for treating her like a disobedient child, especially when he implies she should have stayed where he left her. Xaden is just as angry that she came at all, but the hostility is fueled by his deep fear of losing her, which he finally admits. As they walk through the opulent glass-walled palace, Violet learns that Xaden has been here before, knows the rules, and even has a room kept exactly how he left it, which only raises more questions. The biggest shock arrives when Catriona, Viscount Tecarus’s niece and Xaden’s former almost-ally, is revealed to be her personal escort to get ready for dinner. Violet is immediately unsettled by how breathtakingly perfect Cat is, how familiar she seems with Xaden, and how she clearly tries to get under Violet’s skin. As they’re dressed in formalwear, Mira chooses weapons and pockets them in her gown while Violet ends up in a dramatic black dress of Deverelli silk, leaving her back—and relic—fully exposed. Tensions with Cat escalate fast when Cat makes digs at their mother’s war crimes and Mira’s past as a soldier. But surprisingly, Syrena, another flier who respects Violet, defends them and adds balance to the interaction.

The group descends into a grand dining room, where everyone—especially Xaden—stares as Violet enters in her breathtaking gown. The tension between them combusts when Xaden, unable to hold back, pulls her into a blistering kiss that literally plunges the room into total darkness using his shadows. During the private moment, he confesses that Cat’s signet allows her to amplify others’ emotions, and she’s been manipulating Violet’s insecurity the entire evening. Violet realizes that’s why she’s been second-guessing herself all night—and that she unknowingly blocked Xaden from the bond using her own shields. Once the shadows fall away, everyone is stunned, and Tecarus leads them outside to an ornate arena, where he demands that Violet perform by hitting a distant chest with lightning. It’s a condition to even begin negotiations for the luminary they desperately need.

Violet agrees despite Xaden’s protests, and Mira accompanies her onto the arena floor. Tecarus reveals the chest was a gift from Xaden’s father during negotiations for an alliance—likely linked to Cat. The chest is a symbol of a past that Xaden has since rejected. Just as Violet prepares to strike the chest with lightning, it explodes open, not from her power, but because the viscount had hidden a man inside. The figure who tumbles out is clearly a venin, confirmed by his bloodshot eyes and veiny face. As Mira and Violet freeze in horror, Xaden screams her name in warning, and the chapter ends on the edge of battle.

Iron Flame – Chapter Forty-Two Recap

The arena erupts into chaos as Violet and Mira face off against a venin released from a warded chest by Viscount Tecarus. Violet is momentarily frozen by memories of Resson and the trauma of watching Soleil and Fuil die, but Tairn’s roar jolts her back into the present. Despite the pouring rain, Mira refuses to leave her side, and together they face the horrifying reality of a dark wielder draining a guard to death in front of them. Violet tries to strike with lightning, but her aim falters and she’s unable to land a hit. She shouts for alloy-hilted daggers, the only weapons that can kill a venin, and Xaden, from the stands, throws two toward them. Violet and Mira dodge flying daggers and a hurled iron chest, scrambling across the soaked battlefield as the venin gains confidence and power. Brennan arrives just in time, taking up a dagger and joining the fight, forming a three-way defense with his sisters. But the venin is far too strong, and when he slams his hand into the ground to drain magic from the arena, they realize the entire field is made of stone from Braevick, already drained of its natural magic, which allows the venin to easily amplify his power. Mira tries to shield them, but it nearly burns her out, leaving her unconscious. Violet realizes that the battlefield is flooded, and if she can charge the water itself with lightning, she could electrocute the venin indirectly. She gets Brennan to carry Mira off the field, and in a daring move, she uses Tairn’s arrival as a timing cue to throw two daggers and pin the venin’s feet to the water-logged ground. She releases a massive lightning strike, electrifying the field and killing the venin instantly. The arena is stunned. Violet has just won an impossible fight through intellect and power. But the aftermath is just as dangerous—Xaden is in a blind rage, using his shadows to strangle Tecarus, furious that the viscount put Violet in danger. Violet calms him down, reminds him she’s alive, and he lets Tecarus go—only after a chilling warning that he’ll kill him if Violet is ever threatened again. The political fallout begins immediately. Back in the palace, after drying off and suiting up, Violet, Xaden, Mira, and Brennan meet with Tecarus and his court. Tecarus is awestruck by Violet’s power and tries to tempt her with a proposal: if she acts as a guardian for his people and stays in exile, he’ll offer her peace and isolation from the war. But Violet sees through the manipulation—it’s just a coward’s way out, abandoning the Continent. When the group presses him to fulfill the original deal—giving them the luminary—Tecarus counters with another term: they must also take in 100 gryphon flier cadets who’ve been sheltering in Cordyn, including Cat and Syrena. Xaden is stunned, Mira is appalled, and Violet is horrified at the thought of bringing fliers back to Aretia. But Brennan, thinking strategically, agrees on one condition: each flier must bring a crossbolt—an invaluable weapon in the fight against wyvern. Violet is left speechless and furious—they’re now going to have to train with their enemies, and worse, live with them.

Iron Flame – Chapter Forty-Three Recap

The chapter begins with the cadets and fliers facing the terrifying task of climbing the Cliffs of Dralor, a deadly, narrow trail meant to test both physical endurance and the fragile alliance between dragon riders and gryphon fliers. As part of a new effort to unite them, Brennan and Syrena pair each rider squad with a drift of gryphons, and Violet is assigned to Cat’s drift, specifically partnered with Maren and her gryphon Dajalair. The climb is steep, grueling, and full of peril, with triggered traps and narrow ledges that demand precision and trust. Despite the physical toll, moments of surprising camaraderie begin to emerge, especially between Violet, Sloane, and Maren, who reveals that fliers bond by jumping onto gryphons mid-air—a sharp contrast to the deadly Parapet at Basgiath. As altitude sickness hits the gryphons hard, Violet tries to remain focused while battling exhaustion and dizziness. Danger escalates when a trap-triggered boulder nearly kills them, only to be pulverized by Tairn’s tail in a dramatic midair rescue. Tensions rise as the group encounters another lethal trap: a wide ledge with hidden arrow-triggering pressure plates that can only be crossed via a daring Gauntlet-style swing using a sword wedged into a crack. Violet executes the jump, barely surviving the landing despite her dislocated shoulder, and then guides the altitude-sick Luella to follow. But Luella miscalculates and crashes into Violet, sending them both sliding toward the cliff’s edge along with Visia. Violet barely clings on to both girls while Ridoc, in a heroic effort to save them, is struck by two arrows in the abdomen. Visia is rescued just in time by her gryphon Cibbelair, and Luella is next, but Violet is left screaming for help as she sees Ridoc staggering, bleeding, and possibly dying, while she holds on by pure will with a dislocated shoulder, facing the horrifying reality that everything could unravel in an instant.

Iron Flame – Chapter Forty-Four Recap

As Violet clings to the cliffside with a dislocated shoulder and both Luella and Visia dangling from her grip, tragedy strikes when Luella slips through her fingers and falls to her death, instantly causing her bonded gryphon Cibbelair to begin dying as well. Cat erupts in rage and grief, blaming Violet, but Maren and others defend her, clarifying that Luella failed the jump and Violet never had a chance to hold her. The bond between gryphons and fliers proves fatal as Cibbe dies moments later, and the entire cliff echoes his mournful cry. Violet has her shoulder relocated by Dain, while Ridoc, wounded by two arrows, is stabilized by Brennan who works under tense conditions to save his life. Just as Violet and the others try to regroup, a wyvern bursts through the clouds, snatching Cibbelair’s body in its jaws, confirming the horrifying truth: they are under attack. Panic and chaos spread as visibility is low and the dragons are unable to detect the wyvern in the thick fog, forcing the cadets to push upward blindly. Violet urges Sloane to flee, unwilling to see Liam’s sister die the same way he did. Realizing the dragons need visibility, Violet collaborates with Tairn to use the clouds to her advantage, planning a risky lightning attack. As Tairn dives into the fog, they locate four riderless wyvern, and Violet channels a surge of power to strike the stormclouds with lightning, using the magic within the wyvern themselves as a conductor. The plan works, killing all four wyvern and scattering their corpses across the fields near the cliffs. Violet returns to the summit, bruised but alive, and sees Ridoc being helped by Sawyer and Rhiannon, confirming he survived. Though physically exhausted and emotionally frayed, Violet finds a sense of triumph in her decision—but the relief is short-lived. In the aftermath, they realize the wyvern were riderless scouts, likely deployed to confirm the new dragon hatchling in Aretia. The chilling revelation that venin share consciousness with the wyvern means that their enemies now know everything, including the formation of a united dragon-and-gryphon front and the existence of a vulnerable newborn dragon, setting the stage for a devastating response.

Iron Flame – Chapter Forty-Five Recap

Morning roll call has shifted from announcing the deaths of cadets to listing the names of active riders and fliers lost on the front lines, making each morning feel more grim and personal. Violet silently prays not to hear Mira’s name, and though Mira is not listed today, others like Isar’s brother and Mika Renfrew are. The emotional responses from the fliers are much more open, with one collapsing to his knees in grief, contrasting starkly with the Basgiath-taught stoicism of the riders. Violet feels helpless, stuck learning history and physics while people she loves are fighting and dying. She notes that Cat’s hatred continues to grow, and her drift openly blames Violet for Luella’s death, while Maren remains the only exception, caught in the middle. Despite the daily torment—including Cat arriving at her door in a see-through robe—Violet continues to room in Xaden’s quarters, since the extra cadets have forced most to double up. Later that day, Professor Trissa selects Violet’s squad and Cat’s drift for a joint experimental class. They all gather in the snow-lined valley, where dragons and gryphons hover silently behind them in a tension-filled standoff. Andarna is continuing to grow, stretching her wings for the first time and becoming more confident—if not aggressive—much like Sgaeyl, which Tairn disapproves of. Despite the obvious hostility between Cat and Violet, the focus shifts when Trissa hands out printed rune illustrations and explains they’ll be learning tempering—a method of storing magic in runes for delayed use, a practice banned after Navarre’s unification. Trissa demonstrates how to separate a strand of magic, shape it using geometric patterns, and embed it into a medium like wood to create reusable magical effects, calling this process tempering runes. This revelation shocks the cadets, especially since it equalizes power between riders and fliers. Rhiannon, Sawyer, Ridoc, and Violet are overwhelmed but intrigued, while Cat predictably excels. Sawyer accidentally explodes a patch of grass trying to separate his power, reinforcing Trissa’s warning about caution. Violet, drawing from Andarna’s calmer magic stream, finally succeeds in crafting an unlocking rune before sunset—but Cat finishes first and without any burns, making her the quiet victor of the day. The lesson introduces an entirely new layer of magic that could shift the balance of power in the coming war—and it's one the cadets are only beginning to grasp.

Iron Flame – Chapter Forty-Six Recap

Violet spends her morning working on a hearing-boosting rune, attempting to temper it into a wooden disk while sitting in Xaden’s room. He arrives freshly bathed, and their comfortable intimacy shows how far their relationship has come. Though his affection distracts her, she manages to finish her sixth attempt at the rune and reflects on how he gave her a rune-illustrated book back in Navarre to prepare her. When she mentions the unlocking rune in her dagger that helped them escape the interrogation chamber, Xaden explains it wasn’t a basic rune but one that responds to need, making it more secure and intelligent. Violet then asks about the rune-etched stone he keeps by the bed. He tells her it’s a protection rune, one of 107 created by Colonel Mairi, mother of Liam and Sloane, meant to protect the children of the rebellion leaders by triggering if they were executed by dragonfire. The stone activated the moment their parents were burned, and the heat felt on their arms was the first manifestation of the rebellion relics—a fact that ties their marks directly to the deaths of their parents. Violet is touched by the story and wants to ask about his deal with her mother, but seeing the scars General Sorrengail left on his back, she decides not to, afraid of breaking the happiness they’ve found. They kiss briefly before she rushes off to class, trying out her rune along the way—only to find that while it amplifies sound, it lacks a directional focus, making it overwhelmingly noisy.

Later that week, the entire Aretian cadet class is gathered in the sparring gym, a much smaller version than Basgiath’s, to address the escalating tension between riders and fliers. Despite rune classes and shared meals, relations have worsened, often ending in fights. Professors Devera, Emetterio, and Kiandra announce a solution: every grievance may now be addressed in a one-on-one challenge match, ending in unconsciousness or submission—but no killing. Even more shocking is the announcement that each rider squad will be merged permanently with a flier drift, fusing into one unit. This violates everything riders have been taught about the sacredness of squads, causing discontent and disbelief. The Iron Squad vows to face these challenges together, moving as one from mat to mat. As challenges are called, it becomes clear that Cat’s entire drift is targeting members of Violet’s squad, especially in retaliation for Luella’s death.

Rhiannon easily defeats Trager, breaking his lip again, while Imogen’s match with Neve ends in a hard-fought draw. Eventually, Cat herself challenges Violet, and the moment is clearly meant to settle their bitter conflict. Violet strips off all her weapons, taking advice from Rhiannon and Imogen, and enters the mat knowing Cat is taller, faster, and has a personal grudge. But the second the match begins, Violet recognizes something critical—Cat fights exactly like Xaden. Her defense becomes instinctive, and as Violet reads her movements, she begins to gain the upper hand. For the first time, Violet realizes her body remembers more of Xaden’s training than she thought. She can anticipate Cat’s attacks, move efficiently, and fight back with skill. The emotional weight of the chapter ties both Violet’s past trauma and her current confidence into one moment—a physical reckoning of guilt, grief, and resolve.

Iron Flame – Chapter Forty-Seven Recap

The fight between Violet and Cat begins with standard moves, but the tension spikes the moment Cat makes it deeply personal, taunting Violet by claiming she had Xaden first—physically and emotionally. Cat uses suggestive language to try to break Violet’s focus, throwing jabs about how she knows what Xaden likes in bed, even describing specific intimate moments. Violet tries to ignore it, but jealousy and rage rise, especially as Cat uses moves that were clearly taught by Xaden, making Violet’s responses predictable. The fight escalates fast when Cat lands a painful left hook, and Violet retaliates with a hit that draws blood. But the verbal assaults continue—Cat pushing on the idea that Violet is weak, frail, and nothing more than a placeholder, claiming that Xaden will eventually tire of her. Violet holds her own until Cat sweeps her legs, slamming her to the mat and pressing a forearm to her throat.

In a venomous whisper, Cat reveals more: that she and Xaden were once engaged, not for love, but for power—a crown promised to her through alliance. She even claims Xaden didn’t kill Violet their first year because he trusted Cat to help him think long-term. That last revelation cracks something inside Violet. She realizes Cat isn’t fighting over love, but over power and position, and her family’s hatred of the Sorrengails runs much deeper than personal jealousy. Fueled by rage, Violet uses Rhiannon’s training, rears back, breaks Cat’s nose with a headbutt, and elbows her hard enough to knock the wind out of her. Violet then straddles her, grabs her by the throat, and nearly chokes the life out of her.

The crowd shouts for a tap out, but Cat refuses. Violet is lost in a storm of uncontrollable power, fury, and venin-like rage, until she hears Xaden’s voice—he’s arrived and is watching it all. He tells her that while he’d understand if she killed Cat, he knows she won’t. That thread of love is the only thing strong enough to ground Violet, and she finally lets go, asking Xaden for help. He lifts her off the mat as Cat gasps for breath, and it becomes clear that Cat had been using her mind-control signet to fuel Violet’s emotional spiral.

Imogen calls it out, and while Cat denies it, her behavior confirms it. The energy inside Violet releases as a massive bolt of lightning that narrowly misses the bleachers, and Xaden uses his shadows to put out the fire. Despite the chaos, Cat refuses to admit defeat. But Xaden doesn’t wait for any permission—he hoists Violet over his shoulder and carries her out of the gym. As they leave, she fights the urge to lash out more, trying to stabilize now that Cat’s signet is no longer affecting her.

In a dramatic and unexpected move, Xaden carries Violet into the Assembly chamber, where Brennan and other leaders are working. He demands everyone leave, and they obey. Once alone, he places Violet down and examines her bruised face, saying she gave as good as she got. When she asks how much of her humiliating breakdown he witnessed, he calmly says all of it. And yet, he’s still here. Still choosing her.

Iron Flame – Chapter Forty-Eight Recap

Opeing Note : The transfer of power from the House of Riorson to the House of Lewellen, a result of the Treaty of Aretia. This sets the stage for the political tensions simmering beneath the surface.

Violet reeling emotionally from Cat’s cruel manipulation during the public confrontation. She’s physically injured and emotionally raw, and Xaden, ever the stabilizing force, immediately tends to her. He doesn’t try to undo Cat’s venom with hollow words; instead, he anchors Violet back in reality with gentle care, quiet control, and undeniable intimacy. He guides her into sitting on the Tyrrish throne—his throne—and reclaims not only her body with intense physical desire, but also reaffirms her place in his life, offering her the one thing Cat tried to take: certainty.

What follows is a powerful and sensual scene, not just of physical connection but of emotional dominance and mutual surrender. Xaden lavishes her with attention, devotion, and restraint. He worships her body with unwavering focus, taking and giving without expectation, purposefully choosing not to satisfy his own needs. Through every kiss, every stroke, every whispered affirmation, he declares that Violet is not an object of convenience, but a woman he loves with such intensity that he would deny himself everything just to prove his devotion. As Violet is overwhelmed by pleasure, emotionally and physically shattered in the best way, power surges through her conduit, and the bond between them temporarily dissolves all barriers between their thoughts and feelings.

When Violet regains her senses, she finds Xaden physically strained and painfully aroused, having denied himself any release. Still, he refuses her offer to reciprocate, choosing instead to make a point: he is capable of loving her without expecting anything in return. This selfless act is a direct refutation of Cat’s claim that Violet is merely a placeholder. Even in his desire, he stays controlled, and the emotional gravity of the moment weighs heavily on Violet. She begins to realize just how deeply Xaden loves her—not just through passion, but through sacrifice and respect.

The chapter shifts from physical intensity to emotional confrontation, as Violet challenges Xaden about his past with Cat, including the nature of their betrothal and the depth of their relationship. Xaden clarifies that he and Cat were betrothed by alliance, not engaged by choice, and that they ended it due to incompatibility and strategic failure. He affirms that Violet is the only woman he has ever truly loved, but also points out that Violet often avoids asking him the hard questions because she’s afraid of the answers. He, in turn, admits he’s guilty of the same with her.

Their exchange escalates into vulnerability and mutual truth-telling. Violet admits that Cat’s words made her feel inferior, insecure, and angry, and Xaden confronts her with honesty: Cat didn’t implant those feelings—she amplified what Violet was already feeling. He reminds Violet that if she wants to reclaim her control, she must first acknowledge her own emotions rather than blaming them on Cat’s manipulation. He reveals that the protective daggers he gave her last year were specifically runed to shield her from Cat’s emotional manipulation, and she had been without them during both major emotional breakdowns. His foresight becomes another subtle but powerful way he proves he is always thinking of her protection.

As the conversation deepens, Violet voices her long-standing doubt—that Cat is a better match for Xaden, being noble, ruthless, and powerful, like him. But Xaden immediately and forcefully rejects this. He tells Violet that Cat has never held his heart, never brought him to his knees, never been worshipped by him, and most importantly, never had the kind of bond he shares with Violet. He reminds her that true compatibility lies in their connection, not their backgrounds. When Violet questions how to regain her center amidst all the chaos and confusion, Xaden delivers a steady, loving truth: only she can find it, just like she did before. He can support her, but he cannot do the inner work for her.

The chapter closes with a small return to normalcy—Xaden heading to a briefing, and Violet to her history class. But before they part, he kisses her with a promise. Not just a promise of later intimacy, but of emotional constancy. He asks her to come to bed early, a request that carries the weight of comfort, safety, and reconnection. After the storm of doubts and emotional disarray, his touch, words, and restraint give Violet the reminder she needs: she is loved, chosen, and seen—not despite her flaws, but with them.ce.

Iron Flame – Chapter Forty-Nine Recap

Opening note:

Fliers and riders are held equal in every regard with the exception of wing structure. Riders will maintain their wings, sections, and squads, as well as retain their commands. Every drift will be absorbed by a squad, and their leader will replace the squad’s current executive officer for unit cohesiveness and efficiency.
—ARTICLE TWO, SECTION ONE THE ARETIA ACCORD

The next morning after formation, I wasn’t surprised by the announcement that Cat’s drift would be absorbed into our squad. Honestly, I saw it coming—we're the strongest squad, and they're the strongest drift. It makes perfect sense from a tactical standpoint, but emotions don't always follow logic. We were all handed the patches that symbolized squad unity, and though some resisted the idea—Sloane and Ridoc especially—I took mine and chose to hand one to Cat myself. She tried her best to stay hostile, sizing me up with the same venom as always, but I kept it civil, controlled. I wore my dagger this time, and with it came the clarity I’d been missing. I handed her the patch and told her plainly: she’s part of Iron Squad now. When she couldn't help but throw another passive-aggressive jab about “her crown,” I reminded her, with a smile, that Tyrrendor hasn't had a crown in over six centuries, and she can dig through the ashes if she wants to find one. And when she tried to get under my skin again, I hit back with a quiet, pointed reminder that the little trick she once bragged about wasn’t wasted on me. Watching her face twist at that? Absolutely worth it.

After the formalities, I headed to the library. Ridoc, Rhiannon, Sawyer, and the others tagged along, claiming they needed a break from Cat more than anything. Honestly, so did I. We joked along the way about how horrifying Cat’s signet ability is—how she could potentially make people fall in love or hate others just by manipulating what already exists in them. I had to remind them that she can’t create emotions—only amplify them, which is both reassuring and terrifying. Ridoc even joked about eliminating her while she's weak, and for a brief second, I actually considered it. That’s what this war does to you. But I reminded everyone that she’s our squadmate now, even if it doesn't feel like it yet. Andarna, of course, thought eating her sounded fun, while Tairn quickly shut that down like the ever-serious parent. It was the first genuine laugh I’d had in a while.

The library was different than the Archives—lighter, less oppressive, and filled with hope instead of history. I set up at a table and pulled out the books Tecarus sent me through Xaden. Among them was Warrick’s journal, which I placed carefully on top. My focus today was finding my center again, returning to that logical, steady place I used to live in before everything fell apart. That’s when Dain arrived—on time, as always. And this time, I was the one who had asked to see him. I needed his help. Not because I trust him completely again, but because he’s one of the few who can translate Krovlish, and we need these entries decoded if we’re going to stand a chance at rebuilding the wards.

The next day, we worked together in the wardstone chamber, sitting side by side like we used to—except everything was different. He pointed out a mistranslation I’d made, and it surprised me that he remembered Jesinia’s area of expertise. For a moment, I saw a glimmer of the old Dain—the boy who used to listen, really listen. But that only opened the door to a flood of emotion and memory. He admitted that his fear started the day he saw me in Rider black instead of Scribe brown. That he just wanted to protect me. But his idea of protection was control, and I reminded him that’s why I stopped trusting him. We talked about how much we’ve both changed since crossing the parapet, how the Codex warped us, and how loyalty to authority came at the expense of our humanity.

Eventually, the conversation turned darker. We stood at the wardstone, and I asked him directly if he used his power to steal my memories. His answer was quiet, but honest—he didn’t at first, but he did when he needed to, and it tore at what little trust I had left. I asked because I needed the truth. He confessed that he was blinded by loyalty to his father, to the military structure, and that he should have trusted me instead. I knew that already. I just needed him to say it. We both grieved for Liam and Soleil in that moment, standing beside the wardstone we couldn’t fix, mourning what we couldn’t change. And though I didn’t forgive him, I told him I needed space. If we were going to work together on translating the journal and imbue the stone, we had to compartmentalize the past. No more discussions about Liam. Not yet. He agreed.

Then he asked the one question I didn’t expect—whether I truly loved Xaden. I told him yes. Not hesitantly. Not out of obligation. With certainty. That love is not going to change. It silenced him in a way that nothing else could. And in that quiet acceptance, he finally stepped into the role I needed him in: not as a friend, not as a former lover, but as an ally who trusts my judgment, even if it hurts him to do so. We agreed to meet again the next day, and I walked away knowing that, for now, that’s all either of us can offer.

Iron Flame – Chapter Fifty Recap

Opening note:
Mastery of one’s signet does not occur at Basgiath, nor in the years directly after. No rider alive truly believes they’ve reached the limitations of their power. The dead ones may feel differently.
—MAJOR AFENDRA’S GUIDE TO THE RIDERS QUADRANT (UNAUTHORIZED EDITION)

It’s been a week of pushing limits—both mental and magical. I’ve been exhausting myself translating every line of Warrick’s journal, spending my lunches freezing in that damned wardstone chamber, and most unexpectedly, working with Dain again. But today’s focus is power, not translation. Felix is training me in precision wielding, trying to get me to move past brute-force strikes and toward true control. He’s annoyingly good at pushing my buttons, standing there calm as ever while I nearly fry myself trying to direct lightning with surgical accuracy. The goal is not to unleash a blast, but to feed power slowly—like a thread, not a flood. It’s harder than it sounds. When he has me extend my lightning from my fingers into the conduit without touching it, it’s like trying to balance a storm on a needle. But I manage it, if only for a few moments, and even though I lose control at the end, splitting the sky and scorching the mountain, Felix finally admits what I’ve been desperate to prove—I’m capable of more than brute strength. I just need to learn how to harness it.

As training wraps up, Felix casually mentions that Xaden and I are needed in the Assembly chamber by five. And just like that, the shift hits me. Xaden’s back early, and through our bond, I can feel it—something’s wrong. His emotions are a storm of exhaustion and rage, and though Sgaeyl is unharmed, the scalding fury simmering through our bond tells me the mission didn’t go well. I try not to press him through our mental connection, shielding myself to maintain my own stability, but it lingers with me as I return to Riorson House. The moment I arrive, it’s clear that whatever happened out there was bad. The second-floor landing is crowded, tense, and when I see the brutal bruises and injuries on Heaton, my stomach drops.

Then I hear it: they took Pavis. Just like that. A town only an hour’s flight from Draithus is now under enemy control. They came with wyvern and attacked before we could even respond. Nyra Voldaren—our strongest former wingleader—is gone, drained completely alongside her dragon Malla. It’s another Soleil and Fuil situation, another horror that shouldn’t be possible. My sister Mira survived, but barely. She’s off escorting a rider with a shattered leg to the healers. The world feels like it’s shrinking around us, with the front lines now shifting violently, swallowing towns and riders alike in silence and smoke. Everyone’s being recalled—lieutenants, leaders, strategists. There’s talk of restructuring wings, and with how fast the venin are moving, they may not have a choice. Pavis wasn’t just a loss. It was a warning. And now the message is clear—they’re coming for Draithus next.

Iron Flame – Chapter Fifty-One Recap

Opening note:
Many of our most esteemed tacticians have tried to estimate the approaching tipping point—where the outcome of the war may have been decided even though we still fight. Many believe it will come in the next decade. I fear it will arrive much sooner than that.
—CAPTAIN LERA DORRELL’S GUIDE TO VANQUISHING THE VENIN
PROPERTY OF CLIFFSBANE ACADEMY

I make my way up the stairs of Riorson House, passing Rhiannon and Tara outside Rhi’s room. Their smiles are carefree, untouched by the brutal truth I now carry, so I let them have it for a few more moments. Instead, I head for the narrow back stairwell that leads to the rooftop, climbing it in silence. When I step outside, I find Xaden exactly where I knew he’d be—perched on the turret edge, shadows curling only from the sun, not his signet. The bond between us is saturated with his pain, and I don’t need him to say a word to feel the weight of what happened. I sit beside him, careful with the plate of chocolate cake I brought as a small offering, one that feels stupidly inadequate now. He accepts the cake, not with sarcasm or distance, but with a kiss and quiet thanks, admitting he’s not used to anyone caring for him like this. And I tell him simply—he better get used to it.

As we sit watching the valley, snow already threatening to fall, I ask what happened. And he tells me. He was there when Pavis fell, and it was another Resson—only worse. The venin came in overwhelming numbers, their wyvern decimating everything before we could even respond. Nyra Voldaren, the strongest among us, is dead, her dragon Malla drained just like Fuil was. Civilians were slaughtered, and there was nothing they could do but retreat. Xaden confesses that we’re outmatched, that the line we’re holding isn’t really holding at all. The enemy could take Poromiel—and us—any time they want, and the terrifying part is: he doesn’t understand why they haven’t already. He says we’re fifty years too late, and there’s no plan anymore, only desperate defense.

When he mentions that Mira ordered him off the field, I freeze. She did it to protect me, not because he was wounded, but because losing him would have destroyed me. He sees it now—how people treat me like a fragile extension of him—and I know it hurts him because it’s what he's always fought against. But this is what it means to be tethered. To be in love with someone who is always one breath away from being taken. He kisses me like he’s trying to anchor us both to that truth, sealing the moment with a quiet promise—for the rest of our lives.

A week later, Dain and I are still buried in Warrick’s journal. We're close, painfully close, to cracking the translation. Xaden joins when he can to help imbue the stone, and Felix’s precision training is paying off—my controlled lightning stream can now charge the stones, something we hadn’t thought possible. But desperation is growing. We've translated nearly everything, but the key section about raising the wards is still frustratingly vague. Then, during another late-night session, I stumble across a word. We’ve been translating the symbol as “blood”… but what if it means “breath”? It fits better in every instance, especially in the phrase “the blood of life.” And just like that, everything shifts. The six powerful ones the journal refers to—they aren’t riders. They’re dragons.

I slam the journal shut, heart pounding. Dain isn’t the one I can tell—he’d never break protocol for what’s morally right. There’s only one person I trust to make the right decision no matter the cost. So I grab my things and run—not to Xaden, who’s still away—but to Rhiannon, the person who’s never wavered, never judged. She lets me in without question, and I pace her floor until I can finally say it aloud. I know how to raise the wards… but I’m not entirely sure we should.

Iron Flame – Chapter Fifty-Two Recap

Opening note:
The breath of life of the six and the one combined and set the stone ablaze in an iron flame.
—THE JOURNAL OF WARRICK OF LUCERAS —TRANSLATED BY CADETS VIOLET SORRENGAIL AND DAIN AETOS

Rhiannon hosts another full squad gathering at her sister’s townhouse, trying to ease the tension between the fliers and riders by bringing us together over cider, warmth, and food. Honestly, it’s a brilliant move. Even Cat is behaving—mostly. Sawyer’s signing with Jesinia near the fire, Ridoc and Sloane are bickering in the corner, and first-years are trying to master lesser magic with those new pens. We’ve been slowly finding a rhythm over the last few weeks—training together, sparring without bloodshed, showing up at Battle Brief as one unit. Things aren’t perfect, but the cracks are closing. And tonight, we’ve come together for more than socializing. Tonight is the night I tell them what I’ve discovered in Warrick’s journal.

It’s terrifying. Because what I’ve learned could change everything for the fliers—stripping them of their ability to channel once the wards go up. And while it may save all of Tyrrendor, it will also cost some of our squadmates everything. Rhiannon opens the conversation with a speech about trust and family, then hands it to me. I explain what I’ve translated—that I now understand how to raise the wards, that I believe we’re close. But that if we do this, the consequence will be significant: the fliers may lose their ability to wield altogether. The reactions range from stunned silence to fury. Cat, of course, lashes out first, accusing us of betrayal and acting like this was some kind of trap laid from the beginning. But Bragen, their new XO and Cat’s driftleader, intervenes and redirects the conversation to the actual timeline and consequences.

I tell them the truth—I haven’t informed the Assembly yet, because I wanted to come to them first. That once I tell Xaden, I won’t be able to keep it quiet much longer. They have to decide now: do they stay, knowing they may lose their powers, or do they leave to find safety in Cordyn, where they can still wield? It’s a terrible choice, but at least I’m giving them one. And I offer something else—a solution. Felix gave me six conduits, imbued with power and made from explosive ore. It’s not a replacement for channeling, but it’s something. If they stay, they won’t be powerless.

That night, though, my peace doesn’t last. I’m pulled into another recurring nightmare, this time more vivid than before. The Sage is there again, whispering threats, circling me like a predator. He touches me. Really touches me. That’s never happened before. He talks about power, fear, jealousy—but what stops my heart is his final threat: that when the time comes, I will tear down the wards myself, not for greed or power, but for something more dangerous—for love. And if I don’t, I’ll die. We both will. I wake gasping, my hand at my throat, but there’s no wound, no blood. Just fear. Tairn casually scolds me for letting a dream get to me, and I curl up against Xaden, who instinctively pulls me close. His heartbeat is the only thing grounding me.

Six days later, six more names are added to the death roll, and we’re back in the air. The weather outside the valley is miserable, but the squad is finally functioning as a cohesive unit. Sawyer quietly accepts being demoted from XO, sacrificing his rank for the good of the team now that Bragen, a flier, leads us. Andarna wants to fly too—she’s stubborn, opinionated, and absolutely convinced she’s ready. Tairn disagrees, of course. Their banter is exhausting and kind of hilarious, but I’m genuinely worried. If she flies and fails, there’s no coming back from that.

We’re about to fly a recon-style squad exercise involving runed boxes and tracking. Rhiannon is excited, and Bragen is helping plan the teams. There’s even a reward—a weekend pass to fly wherever we want. But just as we’re preparing to take off, Sgaeyl arrives with a full riot, including Heaton, Cianna, and—Xaden. The moment I see him land, everything inside me calms just a bit. He’s safe. He’s alive. And when he walks straight to me and pulls me into his arms in front of the entire squad, I don’t care who sees.

We don’t have time to talk, not yet, but he knows—he reads my face instantly. I’ve figured it out. I confirm it in a whisper before we part: the six aren’t riders, they’re dragons. His eyes flare with urgency, already ready to raise the wards, but I stop him. Not yet. Not until we’ve talked, really talked. He insists on answers, but I hold my ground. He’ll need Tairn, anyway. And until this mission is over, we’re pressing pause. There’s too much at stake now—for all of us.

Iron Flame – Chapter Fifty-Three Recap

Opening note:
The art of imbuing comes naturally to only a handful of signets, and automatically only to one: the siphon.
—A STUDY ON SIGNETS BY MAJOR DALTON SISNEROS

Chapter 53 begins with Violet trudging through snow on a steep ridge, leading her squad to a cave only reachable on foot in their assigned sector. Cat is unfortunately right behind her, but Andarna is walking beside them, sharp and protective. They’re all tense, not just because of the snow but because of the stakes—if they find one more relic box, they’ll beat Claw Section. Tairn is flying above, worried about leaving Violet on one peak while he scouts another, but she reassures him with her usual sarcasm, making even Cat snap about avalanche danger when Violet laughs too loudly.

As they near the cave entrance, Violet, Cat, Sloane, Visia, and Andarna are walking a precarious emotional tightrope. Cat continues to provoke, but Violet doesn’t back down. When Cat implies Violet feels guilt over Liam’s death, Violet admits it’s true and tells her to direct the hate where it belongs—at her, not Sloane. What follows is a surprising moment of maturity from Sloane, who says Liam was wrong to burden Violet with protecting both Xaden and her. This moment of raw vulnerability touches Violet deeply, though she keeps moving forward.

The cave entrance is narrow—just wide enough for Andarna, hinting at its ancient dragon roots. Tairn confirms it’s likely part of an old dragon wintering den, which makes Violet uneasy. Inside, it’s pitch black, and no one has a proper mage light. Cat surprises them all by pulling out torches and talking about flier-runed fire tokens, something the riders had no idea about. Violet lights the torch herself using her controlled lightning channeled through a conduit, managing to impress even Cat.

What follows is unexpected: a slow softening between Violet and Cat. They begin to work together. Violet admits Cat’s better at runes; Cat accepts the compliment and helps unlock the relic chest. They even make a scribe joke together that only Violet finds funny. The cave deepens and forks. The group debates direction, then chooses the right tunnel.

Visia casually asks if Violet might get a second signet from bonding two dragons, which makes Violet wonder. Andarna confirms signets depend on the rider’s nature, but Violet still senses something off. The gravity shifts. The unease builds. Andarna smells other dragons—but not in a familiar way. They smell of stolen magic.

Just then, they find the box, and Cat unlocks it. Victory feels near—until a growl rumbles through the ground. A massive orange dragon with only one eye emerges from the shadows. Visia screams. The dragon lunges. Violet instinctively grabs Cat’s pack and pulls her back just in time—but Visia is struck and flung hard into the cave wall. The sound is sickening. She’s not moving. She’s almost certainly dead.

Violet mentally screams for Tairn as the orange dragon begins to inhale. The air glows orange. Heat builds. Fire is coming.

Solas has found them.

Iron Flame – Chapter Fifty-Four Recap

Opening note:

I’ll say one thing for dragonfire. It kills quickly.
—COLONEL KAORI’S FIELD GUIDE TO DRAGONKIND

Chapter 54 begins in a whirlwind of fire and chaos as a dark shape slams into Violet and Cat, sending them tumbling away from Solas’s oncoming blast. Violet instinctively shields Cat with her body, knowing that if Cat dies, the political repercussions—especially from Cordyn—would result in Xaden’s death too. Violet desperately sends a mental command to survive through her bonds, hoping Tairn will hear it in time. As the fire nears, Andarna wraps her wings around them, shielding everyone in the cave. Violet holds her breath as Andarna yells not to inhale the searing air. The blast of Solas’s dragonfire is brutal and seems endless, but Andarna’s wings hold, and the group survives. As the fire ends and they breathe again, they find Kira’s feathers singed and Visia’s remains charred to bone. Violet tries to wield Tairn’s power, but the confined cave makes it too risky. When Andarna charges at Solas, he swats her against the wall effortlessly. Violet tries to figure out how to kill a dragon in such close quarters when Cat yells that she’s being drained—Violet realizes that someone is siphoning her power. Solas turns, exposing a soft spot under his foreleg, and Violet launches a dagger, piercing one of his eyes. With Cat and Sloane near the exit, Violet orders them to flee. Sloane mounts Kira and escapes just as Solas strikes, but Violet is left behind with a broken conduit in her hand and an idea. She decides to overload the remaining metal prongs with raw power and stab them into Solas’s shoulder. Andarna distracts Solas while Violet drives the jagged conduit into his vulnerable joint and unleashes a surge of lightning. Solas thrashes in pain and hurls Violet across the cave with his tail. Dazed and nearly unconscious, Violet watches as Andarna fights Solas alone. Just when it seems hopeless, she is dragged to safety by Sloane while Cat fires arrow after arrow into Solas’s wound. Andarna tears free from Solas with a chunk of his flesh, her tail dripping with blood and venom. As Violet stumbles out of the cave, she fears Andarna is dead, but Tairn assures her that the young dragon is alive. Sloane, shocked and terrified, realizes she siphoned Violet’s power and fears she’s turning venin. Tairn explains she’s like Naolin—a true siphon. When Andarna finally emerges, she’s bloody but victorious. She killed Solas. Later, in their room, Violet is being checked by a healer when Xaden storms in. Shocked to find Cat there, he learns Violet saved her life. The two argue fiercely, Xaden furious Violet risked herself for someone she hates. Violet shouts back that she did it because Cat’s death would mean Xaden’s execution. The tension explodes as they both try to protect each other in different ways—Xaden by control, Violet by sacrifice. Finally, when things quiet, Xaden asks the question she’s been avoiding: whether she’s ready to ask about the deal he made with her mother.

Iron Flame – Chapter Fifty-Five Recap

Opening note:

Nothing kills powerful, unshakable love faster than opposing ideologies.
—THE JOURNAL OF WARRICK OF LUCERAS — TRANSLATED BY CADETS VIOLET SORRENGAIL AND DAIN AETOS

Chapter 55 opens with Violet confronting Xaden about the deal he made with her mother, the one she's known about but never asked him to explain. Xaden tells her he always knew she knew—he’s simply been waiting for her to confront him, to ask instead of holding it in. Violet is furious that he let her suffer in silence for months and accuses him of making her beg for truth, keeping too many things hidden under the excuse that she never asked. He pushes back, pointing out that he’s pleaded with her to trust him, but she refuses to ask the real questions. The conversation escalates as Violet confronts him not just about the deal, but the scars her mother left on his back, his refusal to be open, and her feeling of not truly knowing him despite loving him. Xaden admits he hid the truth because he didn’t want her blaming herself, insisting that he has no regrets about the deal since it saved both their lives and allowed the revolution to gain resources. Violet doesn’t care about the deal—she cares that she had to uncover it like a secret. Their argument turns deeply emotional as Xaden urges her to stop fearing the answers and instead demand the truth if she wants to fully love him. He tells her they’re still stuck on the same parapet of mistrust from last year, not because of his lies, but because she’s afraid to dig too deep into their relationship. In response, Violet uses a metaphor she once shared with Imogen—that after almost being killed by a battle-axe in an armoire, she now checks every armoire before trusting it again. Xaden challenges the analogy by literally summoning a knife from their armoire using shadows and holding it inches from her, then stepping close to prove that even if weapons exist in their metaphorical space, he’d never let one hurt her. He’s not the one she doesn’t trust—it’s herself. When she finally breaks down, Violet admits the real reason she didn’t ask him sooner—because she loves him so deeply that she feared the answer. She feared that maybe he fell in love with her not because of who she is, but because of that deal with her mother. She’s terrified she’s confusing devotion with obsession, courage with self-preservation, and that in loving him so fiercely, she’s stopped watching where she’s going. Xaden responds gently that maybe the issue is she doesn’t want to know what side she’s on. Then Violet finally asks the real question: what’s his second signet? Her theory is that since Xaden is a direct descendant of Sgaeyl’s previous rider—his grandfather—he would either develop a second signet or go mad. And he’s clearly sane. The question stuns Xaden, who goes completely still, clearly shaken for the first time in a long while. Violet presses further, demanding to know how Sgaeyl was allowed to choose him, and how they both got away with it. But before Xaden can respond, a desperate knock interrupts them. Brennan bursts in with news that a horde of wyvern is approaching from Pavis toward the cliffs. Xaden turns to Violet with a hard decision: is she ready to raise the wards, or would she rather wait until it’s too late?

Iron Flame – Chapter Fifty-Six Recap

Opening Note: “It was never our continent. From the very beginning, it was theirs, and we were simply allowed to live here.” —The Journal of Warrick of Luceras —Translated by Cadet Violet Sorrengail

As storm clouds gather overhead, tension crackles in the air as Violet, Brennan, Xaden, Rhiannon, and other Assembly members hike up the hill toward the ancient wardstone chamber. The entire atmosphere is charged with dread and pressure—Violet’s every step echoing the weight of her responsibility. Despite the pain still flaring through her body from Solas’s attack, she keeps pushing forward, driven by the knowledge that if she mistranslated even a single symbol, the wards might fail and doom them all. She reflects on how the wardstone has responded well to the power she, Dain, and Xaden imbued into it, though it remains dormant without activation. As chaos swirls at Riorson House, where riders scramble to prepare for battle, Violet prepares to fly out with Xaden. Tairn and Sgaeyl’s speed will help them reach the cliffs before the oncoming horde—and hopefully raise the wards in time to hold the border. Handing Brennan the translated journal, Violet explains that she had originally misread one of the most important passages: that a dragon’s fire can only ignite one wardstone, not multiple. They will need a representative from each dragon den to succeed, hence Rhiannon's presence. As Violet’s body aches, Brennan offers to heal her, but she refuses—there’s no time for comfort now. Instead, she clings to the pride that comes from correcting her translation, earning Brennan’s admiration and a rare moment of sibling connection. At the top, they join the others and prepare for the wardstone activation. As Tairn and five other dragons form a circle around the chamber, each rider takes their place. Violet checks in on Andarna, but Tairn tells her the young dragon is withdrawn, weighed down by the consequences of slaying Solas. Violet, however, stands proud of Andarna’s strength. When the dragons unleash their fire in perfect unison into the chamber, the ancient power hums through Violet’s core like a wave of magic, different from the surge of uncontrolled energy she’s felt since leaving Navarre. This one feels anchored, controlled, and for the first time in a long while, safe. The wardstone doesn’t visibly change, but something within the magic itself has shifted. It feels like success. Dain confirms this with a genuine smile, and for a fleeting moment, Violet allows herself to feel the triumph. But there’s no time to rest. Xaden reminds them that the wyvern are coming—and fast. They must fly.

Tairn flies with blistering speed, soaring ahead of even Sgaeyl, and within minutes they reach the cliffs above the high plains. Violet dismounts, her body sore but her spirit steady, as she surveys the edge of the wards. Tairn confirms that the ward’s reach ends just shy of the cliffs, and the realization horrifies Violet—they are barely protecting Navarre. Massive swaths of territory remain exposed. Still, with no time to change that now, she gathers herself as Xaden and Sgaeyl land nearby. As the wind howls and the cliff stretches into shadow, Violet tells Xaden there are no sightings yet, and Tairn estimates the horde will arrive in about fifteen minutes. But Xaden has something else on his mind. With no one within miles to hear them, he brings up the moment she asked about his second signet back at Aretia—something he avoided answering. Violet is furious that he didn’t trust even the sound shield on their room and accuses him of running from the truth. He insists that her question had caught him off guard, but she doesn’t buy it. The tension escalates as Violet demands to know what he’s hiding. She tries to deduce his signet from traits—ruthlessness, leadership, secrets, and the need for control. When she suggests it might involve manipulation like Cat’s, Xaden is visibly hurt, and Violet immediately regrets the thought. But she presses on, listing possibilities, trying to understand what power could make him so afraid. Her guesses grow sharper until her voice rises with anger, questioning who else knows and accusing him of keeping her in the dark—again. Shadows begin to swirl protectively around her as if he might lose her for good. And then the truth comes.

Xaden quietly admits it. The reason no one knows his second signet… is because if they did, he would be executed. Violet pieces it together with horror—his signet must be one that grants knowledge, insight, possibly something tied to uncovering people’s secrets. The kind of power that could expose anyone, that could threaten the very foundations of the Rider Quadrant. And in that moment, her world tilts again. Her love for him crashes against the fear of what he is, and yet he stands there—bare, vulnerable, and more honest than he’s ever been—waiting for her judgment.

Iron Flame – Chapter Fifty-Seven Recap

Opening Note:

The day Augustine Melgren manifested his signet changed warfare for the kingdom of Navarre forever. — Navarre: An Unedited History by Colonel Lewis Markham

Violet arrives once again at Athebyne, a place that now seems to echo betrayal, as she faces the weight of hidden truths Xaden has finally revealed to her. Though still hurt and exhausted—both emotionally and physically from fighting Solas and sleeping on a library table—Violet acknowledges that this time, Xaden trusted her first, not last. Their riot lands an hour early, hiding some dragons under forest cover while others remain alert in the clearing. Violet confirms with Tairn that the hidden dragons won’t be easily detected, but the tension remains high as they prepare for the meeting. Xaden’s quiet approach leads to a charged conversation between them about trust, boundaries, and intentions. Violet confirms that while she was studying Warrick’s journal with Dain, Jesinia, Sawyer, and others joined them—Sawyer, notably smitten with Jesinia. Xaden asks for Violet to lower her shields, and when she does, their bond reconnects, raw and vulnerable. He confesses he never used his signet to manipulate her emotions, but did read her intentions in the past—like knowing she wanted to kiss him by the wall. He admits it was wrong, yet unavoidable, and she tells him they’ll fight about it later.

As Mira joins them, so does the tension. The dragons sense the approach of Melgren and his party, and soon seven black-clad figures emerge from the trees, including Violet’s mother, General Sorrengail. Melgren, arrogant as ever, tries to assert control, but is quickly met with defiance from Ulices, Xaden, and Mira. The standoff intensifies when Melgren reveals he’s seen a future where Samara falls on solstice, warning that Navarre will lose. The weight of that statement sinks in—if the outposts fall, the wards around Basgiath will shrink drastically, exposing civilians to devastating attacks. Violet urges Xaden to read the Navarrians’ intentions, and he reveals that one officer is terrified and desperate for them to help—confirming that the danger is very real.

Melgren begs them to fight alongside Navarre at Samara, offering promises from King Tauri himself: respect for Aretia’s independence, no forced conscription, and peace in exchange for aid. But Ulices rejects the offer outright, scorning Navarre for abandoning others during their times of need. Violet internally wrestles with the morality of letting innocent civilians die because of corrupt leadership. Just then, Brennan steps forward, stunning their mother, and firmly declares rejection of Navarre’s offer, accusing them of sacrificing civilians and their own children for the safety of the wards. The moment is piercing—General Sorrengail stares at her son, realizing all three of her children now stand against her. Xaden adds a final blow, mocking Navarre’s isolation from former allies. As Melgren retreats, he allows General Sorrengail a final moment with her daughters.

In a rare, emotional exchange, General Sorrengail gives Violet a leather notebook written in Morainian—the very journal Violet was once tortured for trying to obtain. She warns that the wards protecting Aretia will fail if Violet doesn’t learn the truth hidden within the journal, revealing that Warrick never wanted the knowledge of warding shared, while Lyra believed in transparency.Violet’s father once told her mother that Warrick never intended anyone outside Navarre to use the warding knowledge. He made it seem like only Navarre should have the power to build and sustain wards, which gave the kingdom a massive advantage over the rest of the Continent. But in reality, Lyra disagreed with Warrick — she believed the warding knowledge should be shared with others to protect more lives, not just Navarrians. This means Warrick deliberately omitted or falsified parts of the ward instructions—ensuring that anyone outside Navarre using his notes would fail over time, as the wards would weaken or collapse.Their mother, visibly shaken, admits she has always wanted her children to live—even if it meant carrying the burden of their disappointment. Violet quietly accepts the journal and the implied responsibility.

On the flight back, Violet and Mira veer off to inspect the wyvern corpses inside their border. To their horror, Mira pulls from one of the bodies a black rune-marked onyx stone—and before they can react, the other wyvern reanimates, its golden eye snapping open. Violet immediately channels Tairn’s power, unleashing a blast of lightning that kills it for good. Shaken, Mira and Violet realize this confirms two things: the wyvern are being powered by rune-engraved stones, and if Violet doesn’t soon discover what Warrick lied about, their new wards are doomed to fail. Violet ends the chapter overwhelmed, knowing she must rely on Jesinia to decode the Morainian journal—and this time, there's no room for mistakes.

Iron Flame – Chapter Fifty-Eight Recap

Opening note:

The combined hatching grounds at Basgiath is our generation’s greatest asset…and our greatest liability.
—The Journal of Warrick of Luceras — Translated by Cadets Violet Sorrengail and Dain Aetos

Violet, still burning from Brennan’s refusal to reconsider the Assembly’s stance on Samara, storms into the sparring gym, only to find Xaden waiting for her in full sparring gear, calm and unreadable as ever. It's late and the room is empty, glowing faintly under mage lights. Their reunion after a week apart is charged with tension, emotionally and physically, as they fall into familiar patterns of arguing, sparring, and colliding with a deeper vulnerability neither can ignore. Xaden confirms that the Assembly vote was real—and that he lost—and Violet slowly starts letting go of her anger as they fall into a back-and-forth about trust, secrets, and the rules they’ll need if they want to truly make their relationship work. On the mat, the line between affection and battle blurs, as Violet holds a dagger to his throat, and he reminds her that she alone has the power to destroy him, not with weapons but with her heart. They make new promises: no more secrets, no more tests, full disclosure—or nothing. Xaden reveals the painful truth about his mother, who left him after fulfilling her marriage contract. And in a deeply personal moment, he explains how he kept his signet a secret, even from Carr, because his ability to read thoughts could be weaponized or get him killed. Violet presses him to promise never to use it on her again, and he agrees—before handing her a playful challenge: her new daggers are his to give, but only if she can disarm him.

Days pass, and on December 19th, Violet attends Battle Brief with her squad, weighed down by the impending solstice and the Assembly’s refusal to act. Everyone is on edge, preparing for war as the college transforms into a military base. Daggers are being crafted nonstop, maorsite arrowheads are forged, and riders are practicing runes. Violet, like everyone else, is waiting for Jesinia to finish translating Lyra’s journal. Brennan and Devera present the latest enemy troop movements using mage lights and a giant map, showing how dark wielders and wyvern have left their southern positions and converged east, mostly across the border from Samara. The conclusion: the enemy is preparing for the battle Melgren foresaw, with more than 500 wyvern and numerous dark wielders. When someone asks why they’re not engaging, Brennan explains the Assembly chose to avoid massive casualties by holding position, even if that means letting Navarre burn. The room grows heated as cadets, including Avalynn, speak out about their families in Navarre and the unfairness of simply standing by. Violet then pieces together a critical insight from the map: Melgren’s vision might be a manipulation, and the wyvern have been stationary for three days, which doesn’t match a real-time offensive. She realizes that if the wards at Samara fall, the power just recedes, it doesn’t vanish—meaning the hatching ground at Basgiath is still vulnerable, and the enemy might not be heading for Samara at all.

Violet urgently leaves the briefing with her squad in tow and seeks out Xaden, telling him that Samara is likely a distraction. With three Empyreans present—herself, Sloane, and Xaden—Melgren’s vision wouldn’t be reliable, which explains why he can’t see the real threat. The true target is Basgiath. The Vale. The hatching grounds. As her squad debates whether they should fight to save a kingdom that has lied, betrayed, and sacrificed them, Violet thinks of the innocent cadets, healers, and civilians caught in the crossfire. In her heart, she knows the truth: staying would make them no different from the enemy. Xaden, steady as always, tells her that he will follow wherever she leads. And Violet, despite everything, despite the risk, gives him the answer that defines her soul—they have to go.

Iron Flame – Chapter Fifty-Nine Recap

Opening Note:

We do not eat our allies.
—Tairn’s Personal Addendum to the Book of Brennan, as quoted by Cadet Violet Sorrengail

The chapter opens in the heart of the valley, where a tense air blankets the cadets as they form a hastily organized, unauthorized unit preparing for an eighteen-hour flight to Basgiath. Violet is fitting a harness on Andarna, who is determined to fight despite the physical limitations of her young wings. Though Andarna argues she can manage the flight, Violet insists on a harness for safety—reminding her that flying until exhaustion is not an option when the stakes are so high. Andarna resents the idea of being carried, but Tairn steps in, asserting the authority of a dragon elder, reminding her that age carries weight among their kind. Andarna, though fiery, reluctantly accepts, understanding the need for caution in the battle ahead.

As the group organizes, Maren and Cat express frustration at being left behind. They long to help, but Violet gently reminds them that crossing Navarre’s wards without wielding abilities would be suicidal. In a moment of solidarity, Maren gifts Violet a small, powerful crossbow with maorsite-tipped, explosive arrows, providing her with a compact and deadly weapon. The kindness of the gesture strikes a chord in Violet, and she accepts it with heartfelt gratitude.

Soon, Xaden arrives, clad in flight gear, voicing his anger over the Assembly’s refusal to act. Brennan confronts Violet with concern, warning that taking untrained cadets into enemy territory is reckless. But Violet fires back, reminding him of their mother and the urgency of defending the hatching grounds. Rhiannon steps forward, declaring that Second Squad, Flame Section, Fourth Wing will stay together, inviting both Xaden and Mira to join—but making it clear Violet isn’t leaving her squad. As the moment solidifies, the lines of loyalty and leadership are drawn, and the mission becomes personal.

Eighteen hours later, freezing winds slice through the air as the squad flies into Morraine Province, navigating by the Iakobos River toward Basgiath. Despite the hostile terrain and silence of abandoned patrols, they fly onward in a riot of fifty. Violet, warmed only by the energy she channels, reflects on the eerie absence of mid-guard patrols, realizing that General Melgren's belief in the Samara attack has left Basgiath wide open.

Tairn informs Violet of the plan—she is to reach her mother and make her listen. Andarna is ordered to detach and hide in the Vale, as her presence could alert enemies. Despite Violet’s pleas, Andarna cryptically declares that she’ll be where she is needed, foreshadowing her unpredictable role.

As they approach Basgiath, the scene looks deceptively peaceful, cloaked in snow. Yet something feels off. Tairn senses disapproval from the Empyrean, but more importantly, another dragon—Greim—has reached out to her mate Maise at Samara to alert Codagh. Violet notes that only half the dormitory windows are lit, and the courtyard is oddly quiet. These clues build the tension as she lands with Tairn, ready to confront the one person who might still stop everything—her mother.

After landing, Violet moves fast, and soon Xaden, Mira, and others land behind her, reinforcing her. General Sorrengail appears, cold and calculating, flanked by Healer Nolon. There’s immediate tension as Violet tells her the wards are in danger, but her mother dismisses her, declaring them perfectly safe and heavily guarded. Mira sees through the lie, calling out that the courtyard is suspiciously empty, suggesting that every able soldier has been sent to Samara.

Then, surprisingly, Dain offers to lead them to the wardstones, revealing his father once showed him the way. After some tense hesitation, General Sorrengail agrees, and they proceed into the administration building. As they descend a spiral staircase, memories of Violet’s imprisonment with Varrish trigger a wave of fear, but Xaden's shadows comfort her, wrapping around her like a protective embrace.

At the base, Dain opens a hidden stone door, revealing a claustrophobic tunnel lit with blue mage-lights, leading to the ward chamber. As they move through, Tairn reports a warning from Chradh, Garrick’s dragon—he senses dangerous runes similar to those in Resson, hinting at a trap. Violet begins to suspect that what they’re walking into might already be too late.

The tunnel ends at a massive blue-glowing wardstone, more powerful than the one at Aretia. But then—horror strikes. Two guards lie dead, freshly killed. The alarm sounds silently in their minds. General Sorrengail bolts forward, and Violet, Xaden, and the rest race after her. As they reach the chamber, a terrifying sight awaits: the wardstone is on fire with black flames, and behind it emerges a dragon—Baide, corrupted, opaque-eyed, and under control.

And then comes the unthinkable: Jack Barlowe, alive and grinning, is riding Baide. Violet barely dodges an attack as Baide swings her tail. The moment explodes in chaos—General Sorrengail is knocked unconscious, Mira is dragged back by shadows, and Ridoc throws himself forward, wielding a wall of ice to shield them from Baide’s fire. Ridoc’s hands are horribly burned, but he saves them all.

As they regroup, Jack makes his move, climbing atop Baide, driving a shortsword into her neck, killing her with horrifying precision. Her blood splatters the wardstone, dousing the flames—and the stone begins to crack and fall. Violet throws a dagger that hits Jack, but it’s too late. The wardstone collapses, and with it, the hum of energy dies.

The chapter ends on a chilling realization: the wards have fallen.

Iron Flame – Chapter Sixty Recap

Opening Note:

At its core, magic demands balance. Whatever you take will be recouped, and it is not the wielder who determines the price.
—MAGIC: A UNIVERSAL STUDY FOR RIDERS by Colonel Emezine Ruthorn

The chapter opens in the immediate aftermath of the catastrophic destruction of the wardstone. As Xaden drops the shadows concealing them, Violet’s gaze snaps to the shattered remains of the wardstone lying in pieces, the terrifying truth sinking in—Navarre is now completely defenseless. Baide’s body blocks her view of Mira, but she sees Rhiannon protecting her mother and Ridoc. Meanwhile, Jack Barlowe pulls Violet’s dagger from his own shoulder with a grotesque mix of triumph and madness, laughing even as he falls to his knees beside his slain dragon. Mira approaches, but Xaden warns her back with a subtle shake of his head. What follows is a chilling confrontation with Jack, who shows no remorse for killing Baide and reveals a terrifying truth: he has turned venin. He claims to have found a way to mimic the dragons' power source and believes he is superior for it. Jack’s erratic behavior and venomous words reveal his long-standing resentment, particularly toward Violet for bonding with Tairn. Xaden uses his shadows to trap Jack midair in an X-shaped hold, demanding answers about when and how he turned. Violet realizes Jack had turned before their gym fight—he had already been venin when he challenged her. Xaden’s interrogation uncovers horrifying news: the venin have infiltrated the wards and can feed on the ground’s energy, meaning they are already among the riders and are now unrestrained.

When Jack arrogantly claims the wardstone’s destruction frees his kind, Violet suggests using the signet-blocking serum to sever him from his power. As Jack continues taunting, Dain arrives and intervenes before Xaden can kill him. But as Dain tries to hold Jack in place, the venin begins draining Dain’s power through physical contact, echoing Liam’s tragic death. Violet screams for Xaden to intervene, and only when Dain cries out in agony does Xaden strike Jack unconscious with the hilt of his dagger. Dain’s arms bear the damage—blackened handprints where Jack touched him. Nolon rushes in and gives Jack the serum to block his signet, while Xaden slices off Jack’s First Wing patch with cold finality. Dain demands to know the number of riders left, and Violet’s mother grimly shares that only 119 cadets remain, plus 10 leadership officers, the rest having been scattered to distant posts. It’s far too few to stop what’s coming. The reality is dire: Navarre is about to be overrun.

Half an hour later, a Battle Brief is underway. The cadets, now divided between those who followed Poromiel and those who stayed, fill the seats with tension and dread. The horde of wyvern is fast approaching, and reinforcements from Melgren won’t arrive in time. Another wave of wyvern has already launched, threatening to overwhelm them all. Dain asks if anyone can track using runes—no one can. Jack had planted lures throughout Basgiath and the path to the Vale, drawing the enemy straight to them. Destroying them is now critical. The Infantry Quadrant enters, including familiar cadets like Calvin, and are tasked with helping locate and eliminate the lures while preparing for battle. Devera delivers urgent reminders: kill the venin, and their wyvern die, and no one is to fight the venin alone.

General Sorrengail (Violet’s mother) begins assigning riders. Violet watches anxiously as powerful riders are strategically placed, but when Mira is assigned away from Violet’s squad, both Violet and Xaden grow uneasy. Mira takes a bold stand, arguing she should be positioned to shield their mother and Violet from behind the lines and that Xaden should remain by Violet’s side, as his shadows complement her abilities in battle. Her logic wins out. Their mother reluctantly agrees. Violet feels immense relief—she won’t be alone.

The room shifts to strategy as Kaori maps out the grid defense of Basgiath and the Vale, assigning airspace sectors to each squad. The plan is to stay within their sector, kill any enemy within it, and avoid chaos. But the most terrifying part? The grid covering the broken wardstone chamber is unassigned. Violet pushes back, insisting they must defend it. The General dismisses her with cold detachment, reinforcing how little value she sees in Violet’s insight. The moment stings deeply, only softened by the warmth of support from Xaden through their bond.

The briefing ends with a solemn call for rest. Violet and Xaden return to her quarters and steal what might be their last intimate moments together. Their connection is both desperate and passionate, rooted in love and the looming threat of death. Xaden tries to tempt her to run—to escape to Aretia and leave the chaos behind—but Violet refuses, knowing neither of them could live with abandoning their friends. Just as they begin to lose themselves in each other, a knock at the door interrupts them. Rhiannon shouts a warning, and then a familiar voice confirms the impossible—Brennan is back.

Violet throws herself into her brother’s arms, overcome with emotion. Brennan confirms he knew he’d made a mistake the moment Violet left and has returned with his drift. He reveals that Matthias has sent the fliers to help locate and destroy the lures, giving them a fighting chance. Violet’s mother arrives and freezes at the sight of Brennan, but Brennan pointedly ignores her, focusing only on Violet. Violet asks him the most important question of all—can he mend the wardstone? Brennan doesn’t know for sure, but he agrees to try. Rhiannon immediately requests that their squad be assigned to defend the chamber. For once, General Sorrengail gives permission without protest.

Iron Flame – Chapter Sixty-One Recap

Opening Note: The chapter opens with a grim excerpt from Major Edvard Tiller’s unaccredited study of the venin, speculating that the venin who killed King Grethwild likely gained heightened vision upon turning—an eerie foreshadowing of the deadly precision that characterizes their attacks, and a reminder of how formidable their evolved senses are.

In the hour before dawn, Violet and her squad stand atop a ridgeline above Basgiath, dragons aligned behind them as they wait for the coming storm—both literal and metaphorical. Below them, General Sorrengail waits with Mira and Teine, positioned in front of Basgiath’s gates to defend the place she once sacrificed her children to protect. Violet observes the shifting skyline and the approaching darkness that swells with every minute, an ominous sign of the advancing horde. The squad’s orders are clear: hold the hundred-yard space between the mountain and campus, guarding the hidden entrance to the ward chamber where Brennan works to repair the broken wardstone. Though squads from Third and Fourth Wings are stationed nearby, First and Second Wings have been positioned at the Vale, splitting their already limited forces. Rhiannon is nervous, Ridoc jokes about fear with blunt honesty, and Sawyer tries to understand if facing death gets any easier—it doesn’t. Everyone is fully armed, thanks to the daggers and the Basgiath forge, and ready to die if it means protecting the realm. Violet checks her weapons: twelve daggers, two alloy-hilted ones, and a handheld crossbow, all in place.

The plan is reaffirmed: Rhiannon commands the riders, Bragen commands the fliers. Imogen emphasizes that they cannot leave their sector, not even to assist others, as guarding their own airspace is the priority. The squad has a smooth system in place—if a venin falls and takes a dagger with them, Rhi will retrieve and redistribute it. Xaden, though powerful, explains he can’t use shadow wielding on this scale without burning out, especially with the massive numbers they’re facing. Violet reminds everyone that the key to victory is to kill the venin—the wyvern will fall with their creators. The squads know their pairings. They mount up, and Violet shares a moment of love and urgency with Rhi, Sawyer, and Ridoc, demanding they keep moving no matter what. Jesinia is revealed to be at Basgiath, studying journals in the Archives, trying to decipher the failure of the wards in Aretia, and Violet panics for her safety. But Rhiannon insists that Jesinia has the right to risk her life just as much as they do.

Violet pleads with Andarna to stay hidden, and Andarna fades into the shadows, proving how easily a black dragon can disappear into the night. Tairn notes that the wyvern are near. Xaden joins Violet and tells her he loves her—the world does not exist for him beyond her—and Violet returns the words, begging him not to die. As the first warm drops of rain fall, Violet realizes it’s her mother’s storm, her way of imbuing her favorite weapon—Violet—with power. Tairn confirms the gryphons will stay grounded if the rain worsens, but they will protect the wounded. Violet mounts up, checks her gear one last time, and prepares to wield. When she finally sees the full scale of the enemy, her heart stutters. There are far more wyvern than anyone anticipated—an overwhelming force flying at multiple altitudes, swarming like a plague. The terror rises, but she controls it, knowing she must stay sharp to protect her squad.

Tairn confirms the enemy is spreading out, targeting all forces rather than focusing on the Vale. Violet accepts that the plan must adapt—she must prevent the enemy from ever reaching the Vale. She prepares for a crucial first strike. She and Tairn communicate with Aimsir to adjust the storm clouds, and when the wyvern are in range, she unleashes a powerful lightning strike from the ground upward, igniting the stormcloud above and blasting the horde. It’s devastating—but short-lived. The wyvern quickly adapt and begin flying under the clouds. Violet draws power from the conduit and continues to strike targets, one by one, but the onslaught is unrelenting. She watches Mira and General Sorrengail vanish into the chaos, then forces herself to refocus on her own sector, knowing that glancing back could cost lives. The battle around them intensifies. Dragons from every squad launch into the sky, defending their airspace as trained, and when Tairn takes off, Violet spots her next target—a wyvern breathing green fire. Tairn dodges the flames and Violet releases another lightning strike, dropping the creature.

The next wave is even worse. Three wyvern dive at lower altitudes, trying to slip through unnoticed. Violet knows she can’t risk drawing power from the ground in case she misses and hits an ally. Tairn plunges into a dive, crashes into a wyvern, and snaps its neck in mid-air. Violet holds on through the chaos, narrowly avoiding being flanked. She unleashes another bolt and takes out one of the attackers, but another closes in. Sgaeyl’s shadows rip it back before it can strike Tairn. Violet looks around and sees every squad under siege. She begins to wield for other sectors, drawing pinpoint lightning bolts to support overrun squads without risking her own. Her precision is remarkable—she avoids harming any dragons while hitting two-thirds of her targets. Each successful strike comes with searing pain and rising exhaustion, but she refuses to stop. She removes her soaked flight jacket, sacrificing access to some daggers but regaining mobility.

Suddenly, she spots the next wave—more wyvern, this time targeting her directly. They pass by her mother’s sector and head straight for Violet. She grabs her conduit bracelet and prepares. Tairn dives to regroup with the squad. There are three venin riders in this wave, clearly aiming to eliminate her. The squad executes a perfect maneuver: Ridoc signals a broken dagger, Rhiannon tosses a replacement to Sawyer through Feirge and Sliseag, and Xaden holds formation. The teamwork is flawless. As the venin approach, Violet senses what’s coming. Sgaeyl takes one down with shadows. Tairn slams into another, jaws locking around its throat. But the third venin leaps from his wyvern to Tairn’s neck. Violet tries to unbuckle her strap, knowing what’s about to happen. The venin advances, wielding one of Violet’s own blades, having caught it mid-air. He taunts her with ominous words about the Sages.

Just as the situation seems hopeless, a blur of green flashes across the sky. Rhiannon leaps from Feirge and lands in a crouch in front of Violet’s saddle, ready to defend her. The chapter ends with the reader breathless—Violet on the brink of confrontation, Rhiannon standing between her and the venin, and the fate of the entire battle hanging in the balance.

Iron Flame – Chapter Sixty-Two Recap

Opening Note: The chapter opens with a stark tactical reminder from Chapter Three of The Tactical Guide to Defeating Dragons by Colonel Elijah Joben, stating that the easiest way to defeat a dragon is to kill its rider. While the dragon will most likely survive, it will be stunned long enough to be taken down—setting the stage for the personal and brutal sacrifices that are about to unfold.

The moment explodes into motion as Violet watches Rhiannon engage the venin who has landed on Tairn’s back. The scene feels too familiar, too close to losing Liam, and Violet’s heart clenches with the same suffocating dread. She can’t lose Rhi. As Rhiannon launches into an incredible display of skill against the venin, Violet struggles to free herself from her rain-swollen saddle belt. The venin knocks Rhiannon’s blade from her hand and kicks her across Tairn’s slick back, but Violet catches her, steadies her, and presses a dagger into her palm. Rhiannon regains her footing just in time to face the charging venin. Meanwhile, Violet calmly prepares the crossbow, loads an arrow, and times her shot with absolute precision. With a shouted countdown, Rhiannon drops flat, and Violet fires—the arrow hits the venin in the sternum, killing him as Tairn rolls sharply away. A deafening explosion rocks the air, but Rhiannon is still alive, clinging to Tairn, and Violet finally breathes. They embrace, soaked in rain and relief. This time, she didn’t lose her best friend.

The battle doesn’t pause. Quinn cleaves into a wyvern’s shoulder from Cruth’s back, and Glane narrowly avoids being torn apart. Tairn informs Violet that Melgren is ten minutes out with only two aides, and most of the venin are holding back for a second wave. Above, six riderless wyvern circle ominously. Sgaeyl is outnumbered and struggling. Tairn bellows “Aotrom!”—Ridoc’s dragon—just as a wyvern plunges its teeth into Aotrom’s flank. Sawyer and Sliseag dive in to assist, but it’s chaos. Violet arms herself again and they surge toward the fray. Tairn swings his tail, crushing one wyvern’s skull, but three remain. In a terrifying turn, a wyvern breathes green fire over Sliseag, and Sawyer throws himself backward out of his seat just in time. Violet watches in horror as the wyvern bites down on Sawyer’s leg. His agonized scream pierces the sky. Blood gushes, and Violet realizes his leg is gone—bitten clean off. He’s losing blood, grip, and consciousness.

Violet knows they have only seconds. Tairn lines up for a dive but can only save one—Sawyer or Sliseag. Refusing to stand by and let another friend die, Violet cuts her own belt strap, leaps from Tairn’s back, and lands on Aotrom in a daring maneuver. Ridoc stares at her, stunned, as she races across Aotrom’s back and hands him the crossbow, then sprints up the body of the wyvern still latched to Aotrom. She runs along the length of its neck, shouts to Sliseag to hold still, and leaps again—this time onto Sliseag’s massive head. Tairn roars furiously, promising retribution later. Violet slides down Sliseag’s neck, retrieves Sawyer, and knocks him down the dragon’s back just as the wyvern prepares another bite. She clutches Sawyer tightly and tells him to hold on. Then Sliseag banks and flips them both into open air. They fall, tumbling in free fall.

Wind howls, rain lashes, and Violet prays for Tairn. In the sky above them, Xaden’s voice screams, “What are you doing?” as his shadows reach for her. Tairn finally catches them in mid-air, closing his claws around them and banking hard toward Basgiath. Sawyer is unconscious, bleeding out. Violet explains what she did and why—there was no other way. Tairn growls but doesn’t argue. Instead, he reports that Brennan has mended the wardstone, but Marbh isn’t hopeful. When they land, Violet immediately begins first aid, tying her belt around what’s left of Sawyer’s leg and begging him to wake up. She screams for help and refuses to lose him. Finally, Sawyer stirs and whispers that he remembers their promise. Violet nearly sobs in relief. Maren arrives on Daja, along with Bragen and Cat, and they ferry Sawyer to the healers. Cat gives Violet one of her daggers as a peace offering and promises to stay with Sawyer.

Exhausted, Violet sits in the cold slush, trying to sense that Xaden is still alive. Then Tairn warns her—“Behind you.” Violet turns to find a venin woman standing twenty feet away, stunningly beautiful despite the rot of power in her eyes. She’s calm, threatening, and clearly amused. Violet doesn’t want to draw attention to Cat, who is retreating nearby, but the venin sees her. Cat rushes forward, and the venin drops to her knee, trying to wield. Violet responds by drawing power into her conduit and melting the ice around her feet. She demands Cat run, but Cat refuses. The venin calls Violet “the lightning wielder” and makes a chilling remark: she’s under orders not to kill Violet—she’s meant to be delivered to someone else. Violet’s nightmare about the Sage floods her mind. The venin believes she’ll be rewarded with the Vale for capturing Violet. As she spirals in her madness, another venin appears—this one powerful enough to fling Cat through the air with a simple gesture.

Violet doesn’t hesitate—she releases a lightning strike and kills the first venin, Wynn, instantly. But the new one, composed and cold, lifts Violet off the ground with a flick of his hand. Her conduit heats unbearably and shatters, useless. She’s suspended, unable to scream or move, just like in the dream. Tairn and Xaden shout that they’re on their way, but she knows they won’t reach her in time. The venin steps over Wynn’s corpse and mocks her. She feels the end closing in—and then the cliff behind the venin moves. A massive shape unfolds—black scales, golden eyes, wings stretching. It’s a dragon. Not just a dragon—a new force entering the field, one that could change everything.

Iron Flame – Chapter Sixty-Three Recap

Opening Note:

“I am alone in thinking the knowledge of wards, the protections they provide, should not solely benefit Navarre, and it has cost me everything.” — Journal of Lyra of Morraine, Translated by Cadet Jesinia Neilwart.

The chapter begins with a shocking and brutal scene as Andarna—now matured into her full dragon form—unleashes her fire directly onto a dark wielder, killing him with terrifying ease. She follows it by snapping off the man’s head and spitting it out in a huff of steaming sulfur, asserting herself as a lethal force. Violet, stunned and speechless, realizes she has never truly seen Andarna’s full power before. The once-golden dragon’s scales are now as black as Tairn’s, revealing just how much she’s changed. Even Cat, witnessing this, is visibly shaken but quickly reminded by Andarna that unbonded humans do not get to speak to dragons. Tairn lands and acknowledges Andarna’s fiery display with pride, and the squad learns that they are being pulled to the Vale—but only the key dragons and riders, including Violet and Xaden. Violet protests, worried that removing Tairn and Sgaeyl will leave Brennan and the wardstone vulnerable. But Xaden agrees—they must act quickly.

They make their way through the chaotic halls of Basgiath, now filled with wounded riders and infantry. The corridor outside the infirmary is grim—beds are full, burn victims cry out in pain, and healers work frantically. Cat quietly informs Violet to tell General Sorrengail that gryphon riders are willing to fight on foot if necessary, even in the rain, as they have unmatched ground speed and experience against venin. Violet promises to relay the message and proceeds into the courtyard. Outside, the lines of squads are in disarray, second-years briefing whoever is still standing, desperately trying to form units out of injured and exhausted cadets. It’s a battlefield even before the next wave arrives. One panicked cadet yells at Xaden to close the gate, but Xaden points to a wyvern corpse crushed into the roofline, reminding them that closing a gate won't save anyone now.

Then Jesinia rushes toward Violet, carefully protecting Lyra’s journal under her robe. She pulls Violet aside to reveal a crucial and disturbing discovery: a discrepancy between two journals. In Warrick’s translation, there are six contributing dragon powers for the wards. But in Lyra’s journal, the number is seven. Jesinia double-checked the rune translations—it’s definitively the number seven. She shows Violet the line: “The breath of life of the seven combined and set the stone ablaze in an iron flame.” Violet is shaken—there are only six dragon dens. That seventh contributor has to be something else. Her mind reels, but there’s no time to think. Violet urges Jesinia to take shelter in the infirmary and check on Sawyer, who lost a leg in the fight, and Jesinia runs off.

Violet rejoins Xaden and the leadership council under the archway near the portcullis. General Melgren, Colonel Panchek, and General Sorrengail are present, preparing the next strategic move. Violet sees the line of wyvern still hovering at a distance, ominously unmoving, as if awaiting a signal. She is disturbed to realize that the wyvern aren’t attacking yet—they’re waiting for someone. Xaden, furious, argues with leadership: removing him and Violet to defend the Vale is reckless. Without them, the wardstone will be unprotected. Melgren tries to dismiss Violet, but she forces herself into the conversation, declaring that Brennan has repaired the wardstone and that she knows how to raise the wards. Her mother challenges her—she failed in Aretia. But Violet insists this is different and pleads for a chance to try.

Tairn warns Violet that the wyvern leader has arrived. Everyone’s gaze shifts to the sky, where a larger wyvern appears at the center of the hovering formation. It bears a rider clad in royal blue, and though the face is far away, Violet is nearly certain of who it is. She feels dread sink into her as she realizes that this moment, this pause before destruction, is intentional. The enemy is waiting—for Xaden. Violet demands her mother’s trust and asks her to come help imbue the wardstone with power. Melgren grows furious and moves to dismiss her again, but her mother stops him, asserting her authority as commandant of Basgiath. When Melgren reminds her it’s his army, Xaden coldly reminds him that half of it now follows him. If Melgren could execute Xaden’s father without hesitation, then Xaden has no issue leaving Melgren to die if he refuses Violet’s help.

That threat stalls Melgren. Xaden then gently offers his hand to Violet, asking if she’ll walk with him. There’s a somber finality in his tone that unnerves her. She takes it. Together they walk past Melgren toward the dragons. Melgren demands to know what Xaden is doing. Xaden replies that he is buying Violet the time she needs to raise the wards. The wyvern haven’t attacked yet because they’re still waiting. And when Melgren asks what they’re waiting for, Xaden answers with brutal honesty—“Me.”

Iron Flame – Chapter Sixty-Four Recap

Opening Note:

“You’re going to love Violet. She’s smart and stubborn. Reminds me a lot of you, actually. You just have to remember when you meet her: she’s not her mother.” — Recovered correspondence of Cadet Liam Mairi to Sloane Mairi

The chapter opens with Violet and Xaden standing before the battlefield near Codagh, a massive dragon, where the air is heavy with dread. Wyvern and dragon corpses already litter the field, and yet, the worst of the enemy’s forces—the venin and their dark wielders—remain. Violet spots one of their venin leaders, the Sage, slowly descending, and it’s the same one from Resson and the cliffs. Xaden confirms it’s one of their teachers, someone he seems to know too well, though he avoids explaining how. When Violet asks him whether to protect Basgiath or another unknown location, likely Athebyne, he answers without hesitation—she is his home now, and she must ward Basgiath.

As Xaden prepares to fight, Violet makes a bold move—she confronts Codagh. She tells the colossal dragon she knows his secret and that she needs his fire for the Basgiath wardstone. Though Xaden protests and Tairn warns her about the risk, Violet doesn’t back down. Codagh, after a brief and dangerous standoff, agrees, showing that he respects her boldness and the weight of what’s at stake. With that critical piece in place, Violet runs—runs like her life and the lives of everyone she loves depend on it. She speeds through the courtyard, the stairs, and the tunnels of Basgiath, her legs screaming in pain but her will pushing harder. She remembers Liam. Soleil. Everyone she couldn't save. But now, she can save the rest—including Xaden.

When she arrives at the wardstone chamber, Brennan is barely standing after mending the stone. Violet pours her power into it, testing it. It accepts her magic. But it's not enough. The stone is massive, and they don’t have enough riders to complete the job. Violet calls for every rider who can make it. She then calls on Andarna—now revealed to be a seventh breed of dragon, not black, but something entirely different and ancient. Her scales shimmer with deep purple hues, and Violet realizes Andarna has always been different for a reason. She’s powerful, older than she seems, and was allowed to bond because of her exceptional nature. Andarna admits she waited 650 years to hatch, knowing she would choose Violet.

Violet begs her to breathe fire on the stone, and Andarna agrees. As power flows between them, Violet burns herself pushing beyond her limit. The wardstone accepts the magic, but it’s still not enough. Violet begins burning out—her veins feel like fire, her skin blistering, her body failing. But she refuses to stop. She pours all of Tairn’s power through her, knowing the cost might be her life. Tairn and Andarna both plead with her to stop. She won’t. Because if she fails, Xaden dies. Everyone dies.

Just when she’s near collapse, her mother appears in the chamber—and then everything changes.

General Lilith Sorrengail, always feared and revered, makes an unthinkable move. She drags Sloane Mairi, Liam’s sister and a first-year, to the stone. Violet watches in horror as her mother confesses she killed Sloane’s mother, and indirectly caused Liam’s death by not paying attention. She then tells Sloane that she is a siphon, capable of channeling someone else’s power. Violet screams, begs her to stop, but her mother has already made her choice. She tells Sloane to channel her—Lilith’s—power into the wardstone.

And then Lilith Sorrengail dies. She sacrifices her life, giving Sloane the power to complete what Violet started. Brennan cradles their mother’s body. Mira enters, devastated. The impossible has happened: the strongest, most feared general on the Continent is gone—and she gave her life for her daughter. For Basgiath. For them all.

And in that moment, as the fire consumes the wardstone and the black iron flame ignites at its peak, the wards rise—Violet feels them. But all she can do is fall to her knees in front of her mother’s lifeless body, the weight of what has been gained and what has been lost settling in her bones.

Iron Flame – Chapter Sixty-Five Recap

Opening Note:

Most generals dream of dying in service to their kingdom. But you know me better than that, my love. When I fall, it will be for one reason only: to protect our children. — Recovered, unsent correspondence of General Lilith Sorrengail

The silence that follows General Lilith Sorrengail’s sacrifice is thunderous. As wyvern bodies thud against the stone above, Andarna quietly asks for forgiveness—her guilt clearly deeper than just her words. Violet, unable to offer much comfort, whispers that her mother made a choice, but her body trembles with grief, and Mira's sobs and Brennan’s hollow movements reflect a family shattered. Brennan gently places his flight jacket over their mother’s body—a small, reverent gesture amidst the weight of a life-changing loss. The journey from the wardstone chamber through the tunnels and stairwells is blurred for Violet, her body nearly collapsing from emotional and physical exhaustion. But Tairn grounds her with quiet, persistent words—you are alive, you will live today, you will wake tomorrow. She asks for Xaden—he’s alive, Tairn says—but unreachable. Even through the bond, he’s shut her out. Yet just knowing he breathes is enough to keep her moving.

Outside, chaos has shifted into victory. The courtyard overflows with overwhelmed soldiers, some hugging, some cheering. But Violet, Mira, and Brennan stand motionless—witnesses to the cost of that victory. Then a familiar face approaches—Dain—but Violet barely registers him before Rhiannon pushes through, radiant and tired, overjoyed to see Violet alive. Rhi wraps her in a hug, confirms everyone is mostly okay—Ridoc, Imogen, Quinn, even Sawyer. And she confirms the miracle: the wards held. Wyvern dropped from the sky like dead weights. Venin fled. Leadership is now cleaning up the aftermath.

But Violet’s heart and mind are fixed on one thing—Xaden. She needs to see him. She needs to see Tairn. As she walks through the carnage and celebration, she overhears Melgren trying to coordinate Navarre’s next steps with Devera. But it’s too late to hide the truth. A horde that size, with casualties that public? The kingdom will soon know what leadership kept from them. Violet isn’t even sure she wants to return.

Then she sees them—Tairn and Sgaeyl, bloodied and massive, near the ravine’s edge. Tairn confirms he’s unhurt, and Andarna lands nearby, her wing trembling. Violet knows what that means: it’s time to face Xaden. She approaches Sgaeyl, who shockingly grants her passage and even compliments her bravery—a rare gesture from the icy dragon. Violet steps past her and finds Xaden standing at the cliff’s edge, back turned, blood crusted on his skin. The emptiness in his posture is chilling. When she asks what happened, he doesn’t look at her—he simply states that he killed him. His father, the Sage. He broke the tether, snapped the connection, and watched his father’s body fall into the ravine. But even now, he keeps watching the river below, haunted by the possibility it might rise again.

Violet approaches slowly, apologizing for not being there, but Xaden brushes it off. You saved us, he says—then Violet breaks the news. It wasn’t her. It was her mother. Lilith Sorrengail sacrificed herself. Sloane siphoned her life and Aimsir’s into the wardstone. When Violet says the words, her voice breaks. Xaden, soft and raw, says he’s sorry. Even though her mother killed his father, he could never wish death on someone she loved.

Their silence becomes a chasm. Violet tries to spark conversation, mentions that Melgren wants them to return to Basgiath. Xaden agrees—they should. The wards are intact here; Aretia’s are weakening. And maybe, just maybe, Violet won’t be as afraid under the full wards. But Violet scoffs. What could possibly scare her now, after wyvern armies, venin, and losing her mother?

Xaden’s answer is a whisper: You love me.
She nods: You know I do.
But when she asks what has him so shaken, what the Sage revealed to him, his answer cuts deeper than any blade.

He finally looks at her, and what she sees in his eyes makes her blood run cold—a faint red ring around the gold-flecked black.
And with the gentlest devastation, Xaden says, “You should be scared of me.”

Iron Flame – Chapter Sixty-Six Recap

Opening Note:

We have tried every method we know of, as you requested. There is no cure. There is only control. — Missive from Lieutenant Colonel Nolon Colbersy to General Lilith Sorrengail

(Xaden’s POV):
Xaden hangs suspended above the battlefield, bound and broken, with Sgaeyl’s terror flooding his senses. His body is scorched, his power depleted, and his muscles in total failure after too much, too long, wielding. And worst of all, he's utterly helpless, brought low by the Sage, the very monster that has haunted his nightmares—and now fully controls his reality. The Sage—his father—is mocking him, circling like a predator. Burnout, he says, is the price for overreaching magic’s balance. The words are cruel, but the truth is harsher: Xaden never stood a chance against him.

The Sage finally drops him like a puppet with its strings cut, and Xaden collapses to the ground in the very place he once crossed to prove his worth. But this moment isn't about worth—it’s about survival, and Violet. She’s underground, fighting to raise the wards, while Sgaeyl fends off wyvern from above. Every time the Sage speaks of Violet, every vile promise he makes to drain her, snap her neck, Xaden’s rage ignites. He tries to bind him with shadows, fighting through his own body’s collapse, but it’s not enough. Violet’s about to sacrifice herself to save him, and he knows it.

But then—something shifts. Beneath the slush, Xaden feels a source of power, not his or Sgaeyl’s, but something deeper, darker. He reaches. And everything goes black.

He jolts awake in bed. No pain. No sweat. No searing muscle strain. Just Violet—asleep beside him, bruises beneath her eyes, her body finally still. The contrast is jarring—he’d just nearly lost her, and now here she is, curled beside him like nothing happened. He watches her quietly, running his fingers across her cheek. She’s so beautiful it hurts. She lost her mother today. And Xaden—despite hating General Sorrengail—grieves for Violet’s pain.

But that’s not the only burden he carries. Something changed during the battle—something dark. And now he’s going to do the hardest thing—leave her, in secret, while she sleeps.

Xaden dresses silently and wraps himself in shadows as he slips through the halls of Basgiath. He doesn’t call Sgaeyl—she’s been unnervingly silent since the battle. He walks through the battlefield aftermath, past clinics and drunken cadets, unseen. His destination? The basement cells—specifically, the one that holds Jack Barlowe, the second-year rider who’d once tried to kill Violet and is now the only known recipient of the venin power-controlling serum.

Xaden steps before Jack’s cell, no longer a man of patience but one desperate for answers. Jack greets him casually, smug and unbothered, mocking him with that ever-present sneer. But Xaden demands the truth: what’s the cure? How can he rid himself of the craving—of the corruption?

Jack’s response is chilling: There is no cure. What they have isn’t a disease—it’s power. And once taken, it can’t be undone. The hunger never leaves. Jack mocks him further, calls it enviable. Xaden threatens torture, promises pain—but Jack simply smiles wider and delivers the final blow: You just did it. Xaden fed off that dark power. He turned. And now, he’s the villain—especially in Violet’s story.

“Welcome to our fucked-up family,” Jack says. “Guess we’re brothers now.”

Iron Flame ends not with victory, but with transformation. Violet has lost her mother, and Xaden has crossed a line he can’t come back from. The war may have been won, but the cost has only just begun. The real battle—for truth, control, and each other—is still ahead.

Hope you enjoyed the ride through Iron Flame! From heartbreak to battlefields, secrets to sacrifices—this book left us breathless. The war isn’t over, and neither is their story. See you in the next one! 💥🖤

EXPLORE MORE SERIES RECAPS

ACOTAR SERIES

CRESCENT CITY SERIES

BLOOD AND ASH SERIES

FLESH AND FIRE SERIES