A Dawn of Onyx

The following night, Barney escorts Arwen to a lavish pavilion for Kane’s event. Kane seats her beside him and resumes speaking to the man seated on his other side. Arwen silently observes the other guests and grows intrigued to see the surly Commander Griffin laughing with a beautiful blonde woman. Eventually, Griffin stands and addresses the tent of dignitaries, officially starting the event. He informs them that Amber has been running soldiers illegally though the Midnight Pass of the Opal Territories—more quickly gaining access to Onyx soldiers. Arwen is shocked to realize that King Gareth is allowing his soldiers to breach the peace treaty that declared all uninvolved kingdoms to be neutral territories during a wartime event.

When the floor is opened for discussion, one man suggests that Onyx also break the treaty and use the pass as well. Another woman announces that she has received word of Opal’s plans to launch an attack on Gareth as retribution for his trespassing; she reasons that Onyx should not anger Opal further. Another man suggests meeting with the tribal leaders of Opal to enact a new treaty that allows only Onyx safe passage. However, this idea is swiftly dismissed because tracking down all the leaders would take time they don’t have. Arwen suggests rendering the Midnight Pass ineffective, thereby blocking Amber soldiers while also extending a favor to the Opal Territories by keeping the war out of their land. The dignitaries are impressed with the idea and decide that they can use their dragons and hydras to accomplish this task. The meeting ends abruptly when Onyx soldiers enter the tent with prisoners of war, one of which Arwen recognizes as Halden.

Arwen lunges toward Halden, but Griffin holds her back. Halden recognizes Arwen and falsely claims that she was going to be his wife before he was conscripted into Amber’s army. Kane orders Halden to be killed, but Griffin interjects, pointing out the benefit of leaving at least one prisoner alive; he reasons that Halden may have valuable information. Kane orders the prisoners to be taken to the dungeons instead, then dismisses everyone but Arwen and Griffin. Arwen is disgusted and enraged by Kane’s apathy. When he states that Halden and his fellow soldiers killed innocent people, she remains staunchly optimistic and defends Halden’s honor. Griffin informs Arwen that Halden and his friends must die, as Kane has shown them how much he values Arwen. This gives them a weakness to exploit if they are allowed to live. While Arwen sees the logic in this argument, she is still devastated.

The next morning, Arwen tricks a guard and gains access the dungeons, where she speaks with Halden. She asks him why he lied about being engaged to her and is disconcerted by his claim that this ploy was his best chance of surviving, given that Kane deeply cares for Arwen. When she asks about the innocents lives lost, Halden insists that he didn’t kill anyone. Arwen is doubtful, but Halden promises to help her escape from the “demons” of Onyx. This epithet brings her nausea rather than relief.

After leaving the dungeons, Arwen encounters Kane, who apologizes for his jealous behavior the previous night, but she is not mollified. Kane knows that she visited Halden, and he warns her that Halden is not who she thinks he is. However, he refuses to give her more information. At dinner, Arwen tells Mari what happened, and Mari agrees to help Arwen to free Halden. Mari also states that Kane is throwing a banquet for the arrival of King Eryx of Peridot, who will arrive with his daughter on the night before the lunar eclipse. Nearly everyone will be drunk on food, wine, and liquor, and Halden and his friends will have the perfect opportunity to escape.

Weeks pass, and Arwen avoids Kane, trying to forget her complicated feelings for him, which persist even amidst her anger over his pending decision on the matter of Halden’s execution. One day, Kane and his men bring in a severely injured man to the infirmary, and Kane corners Arwen while she heals the man. He admires her improved healing ability. She has gotten stronger and quicker by drawing energy from the air as Dagan taught her. Kane remains after the soldier is healed; he is determined to keep Arwen company. He sends for her dinner and tells her that he is still searching for her family. She asks him to explain why he attacked Amber kingdom, but he simply states that King Gareth is “a weasel and doesn’t deserve to rule his own kingdom” (217). Arwen doesn’t find this a satisfactory answer and orders him to leave her apothecary.

Mari uses a spell to turn Arwen invisible just long enough for her to sneak into the dungeons to visit Halden and tell him about the coming banquet and the escape plan. Arwen reveals her suspicion that Onyx is using the banquet to make an alliance with Peridot. Halden asks her if she has met any half-Fae in Shadowhold. He also asks if Kane is looking for a relic of some kind, but Arwen knows nothing about these matters. Halden shares his plan to cause a small explosion on the night of the banquet in order to escape; he promises that he won’t injure innocents. Arwen promises to meet him at the North Gate after the explosion. Before she leaves, Halden kisses her. Although the experience is safe and familiar, Arwen does not feel any passion for him.

A week later, while Arwen trains with Dagan, he instructs her to close her eyes and tell him what she feels. She replies: “‘Sad. And alone. Which makes me feel afraid’’ (225). Arwen explains that this feeling makes her feel trapped and terrified, but Dagan corrects her, claiming that it is not terror but power. He tells her that her fear can be harnessed to fuel her courage. He later admits that Arwen reminds him of his daughter and reveals that Gareth killed both his daughter and his wife. She apologizes for his loss. Shaken by how profoundly this information alters her view of King Gareth, she begins to doubt her plan to return to the Amber kingdom.

On the night of the banquet, Mari helps Arwen to get ready, and the two also exchange what they believe is a permanent goodbye. At the banquet, Arwen passes time by observing Kane from afar. Bothered by the sight of him talking and smiling with Princess Amelia of Peridot, she decides to interrupt. Amelia is displeased by the interruption, but Kane is enchanted by Arwen. When Arwen leaves the conversation, Kane follows her, abandoning Amelia. He drags Arwen into a wine cellar and informs her that he is trying to make an alliance.

Suddenly, they are interrupted by a large explosion that knocks barrels down around them, barricading them inside. Arwen experiences a panic attack due to claustrophobia, and Kane helps her through it. In the resulting conversation, Kane lets it slip that he and Amelia used to be romantically involved, but he insists that the relationship is long over. He turns the conversation to Halden, and Arwen admits that the explosion was part of Halden’s escape plan—not an earthquake, as Kane first suspected. Though Arwen clearly knew about the plan and did not tell him, Kane isn’t angry with her. Referencing a comment she heard in passing, Arwen asks what Halden tried to steal from Kane’s vault. Kane vaguely says it was something that hasn’t been there in a long time.