Onyx Storm

That afternoon, Xaden and Violet are in the bathing chamber of their shared bedroom. They decide to stop holding back and sleep together. Xaden maintains control and doesn’t channel, which they both consider a success. Afterward, Violet brings up the idea of staying on the isles, but Xaden insists they cannot. He explains that Sgaeyl is suffering without magic, like all the dragons. He refuses to let her endure that pain, just as he won’t let Violet make sacrifices for him by staying. Their conversation is interrupted when their squad arrives with urgent news—King Courtlyn has decided to keep Halden. Since Xaden is the only aristocrat among them, he must meet with the king. He insists that Violet will go with him.

On the journey to see King Courtlyn, Violet asks Tairn why he didn’t tell her he was in pain, as Xaden noted. Tairn responds that she doesn’t tell him every time she is in pain, which, for her, is nearly every day. When they arrive, Courtlyn’s guards refuse them entry, but Xaden asserts his status as the Duke of Tyrrendor and introduces Violet as his consort. As they are escorted to the king, Violet points out that she isn’t actually his wife, and Xaden asks when would be a good time to marry. She replies that they can discuss it when they’re not constantly fighting to survive.

Inside the dining hall, they find King Courtlyn, Halden, and Viscount Tecarus seated together. When they confront Halden, he admits that he made a deal—offering the use of Tecarus’s manor house as a base for their search in exchange for the Amelian Citrine. However, when that wasn’t enough, he offered something else. Courtlyn, furious, claims that the item was not Halden’s to give and stabs a dagger into his hand. The dagger, now embedded in Halden’s hand, is revealed to be the Blade of Aretia, which technically belongs to Xaden. Courtlyn summons three large white panthers—Shira, Shena, and Shora. He offers Xaden the same deal Halden proposed but demands complete honesty. When asked where his loyalty lies, Xaden responds that his first loyalty is to Violet, followed by Tyrrendor, and, lastly, Navarre.

Violet attempts to shift the conversation, asking if venin have ever come to the isles, hoping to learn whether they were defeated or cured. Courtlyn does not answer. As the king serves food to his panthers, Violet and Xaden realize that Halden’s guard, Anna, has been killed and is the meal itself. Courtlyn reveals that he caught her attempting to steal from his treasury and presents a list of stolen items written in Halden’s handwriting. Halden insists that the items belonged to his kingdom but were given away over the past century. Violet realizes that Halden has jeopardized their mission for selfish reasons.

To salvage the situation, Xaden offers to make a deal on behalf of Tyrrendor instead, proposing to give Courtlyn his family’s sword in exchange. Violet, however, does not want him to give it up. When Halden protests that Courtlyn cannot negotiate with provinces, the king loses patience and orders his guards to kill everyone except for Viscount Tecarus.

Xaden throws Halden a sword so they can defend themselves against Courtlyn’s guards. He reminds Halden that they shouldn’t kill anyone, as they still need to secure a deal. During the fight, one of the guards smashes Violet’s conduit—a dagger infused with her lightning magic—and another slashes her cheek. Xaden reacts with an anger she has never seen, vowing to kill everyone. He begins using shadows to take down the guards, channeling magic from the alloy in Violet’s broken conduit. Realizing the situation is spiraling, Violet calls on Andarna and Tairn for help.

As a last resort, she has Andarna seize one of Courtlyn’s panthers, Shira, in her mouth, using it as leverage to force the king into negotiations. Violet bargains for their safety by agreeing to give Courtlyn the Amelian Citrine along with a piece of dragon eggshell from Andarna’s egg. Courtlyn agrees to the trade, but Halden is never allowed to return to his land.

Violet sends Xaden back to Aretia for a week and tells him she will see him later at Basgiath. She hopes this will give him enough time for the red rings around his eyes to fade. Before they leave, Courtlyn reveals that he knows they plan to search Unnbriel first and hints that he may have another trade to interest Violet.

Three days after returning to Basgiath, Violet discusses her meeting with Courtlyn during Battle Brief with her friends, explaining that he wanted both her and Xaden’s services for weaponry. Meanwhile, she worries about Xaden. After his recent slip-up, she wonders how many more times he can lose control before the red rings around his irises become permanent. During class, Professor Devera asks Violet to examine a map showing recent venin movements. Violet realizes that their forces are positioning themselves in preparation for the inevitable failure of the Aretian wards.

A week passes, and it has been eight days since Xaden left. Violet wonders if his eyes have returned to normal. Their team is set to leave for Unnbriel in a week. Violet and her friends spend their days researching everything they can about the venin. When Xaden finally returns, his eyes have not regained their original color—what were once gold flecks are now permanently amber. Violet realizes that time is running out. Additionally, Xaden appears to be reading her thoughts, suggesting that his second signet is strengthening, or he is learning to control it more effectively.

Cat points out to the squad that flying to each island individually will take too long, especially with Deverelli as their base. More time will be wasted than they have before the wards fall. Violet decides they must break the Senarium’s rules by exploring all the islands at once rather than returning to report after each visit. After the discussion, Violet pulls Bodhi aside, and he discreetly hands her a serum and an antidote she requested. Their conversation is cut short when a second-year on the fighting mat suddenly screams mid-battle. She drains power from the ground, revealing herself as a venin. Without hesitation, Professor Carr kills her.

Violet’s squad spends 10 days preparing for their mission. She decides to add two gryphon fliers, Maren and Trager, to the team. During this time, Aaric reveals himself to Halden, who is surprised to learn that Aaric is hiding at Basgiath and bonded to a dragon to become a rider. Aaric, believing Halden is too unpredictable to bring along, decides to take his place in the squad.

After finalizing their team, they fly to Deverelli and rest there for two days before continuing on. They know that some runes will function off the Continent but are unsure of which, so they plan to test them while on the isles. Their journey takes them to the isle of Dunne. While there, Violet notices a bracelet Mira is wearing, sensing something familiar about it but unable to recall why. Curious, she asks Mira where she went during her leave. Mira reveals that she visited their grandmother, Niara, whom they have not seen since Violet was three, when she cut contact with their parents. Mira encourages Violet to visit their grandmother someday. That night, as they sleep, they are startled awake when a man sneaks up on them. Before he can act, Xaden has a knife to his throat.

Violet and her squad realize they are surrounded by 20 men on horseback. The soldiers warn them to leave the island, denying their request to meet the queen, claiming they are unworthy since they were snuck up on. However, when the dragons and gryphons reveal themselves, the soldiers are visibly startled: Dragons do not exist on this island. From this, Violet concludes that Andarna’s kind is not here.

Xaden negotiates a way forward, agreeing to fight their best soldier for the right to meet the queen. They are only allowed to bring half the squad, and Violet selects Xaden, Aaric, Cat, and Dain to accompany her. They travel to the island’s capital, Eistol, where they are taken to the designated location for the fight. While waiting, Violet notices a nearby temple with six pillars, each adorned with a unique symbol—a sword, fire, water, shield, claw, and a book. Additionally, she observes that every blue-robed attendant on the temple steps has silver hair, just like the silver ends of her own hair.

Violet spots a young girl with hair like hers—brown with silver at the ends—but there is no time to ask who she is or why they share this trait. Two figures appear: a general and a high priestess. They ask if Violet’s squad is certain they want to fight for an audience with the queen. Xaden confirms that they do. In response, three opponents are introduced—Costa, Marlis, and Palta. Aaric surprises everyone by revealing that he is fluent in Unnbris. He volunteers to fight, but Xaden refuses, stating that Aaric is too valuable as a royal. The squad selects Costa for Xaden to fight, but the priestess intervenes, deciding that Xaden will not fight alone. She adds Dain to the fight and assigns him to battle Palta. Turning to Violet, the priestess asks if she chose to be a rider. Violet replies that she chose her own life. The priestess then comments that it is good she never completed her “dedication,” though Violet has no idea what this means. She suggests that Violet still has the option to join their path instead, as there is still time—before informing her that she, too, must fight.

Violet is assigned to fight Marlis, the female opponent, who is much larger and stronger. Andarna is furious, realizing that the match was always meant to force the three of them into combat. All fighters must use the same weapon, so Xaden selects daggers, knowing they are Violet’s weapon of choice. Using quick strategic thinking, Violet pins Marlis down, but Marlis refuses to yield. Meanwhile, Dain has lost his fight and is unconscious, and Xaden is on the ground struggling to hold back his opponent’s dagger. Violet is forced to make a choice—keep Marlis pinned or help Xaden. She decides to do both, throwing a dagger into the shoulder of Xaden’s opponent while keeping Marlis restrained. Even then, Marlis does not surrender. Suddenly, two lightning strikes hit nearby, startling Marlis into yielding. Afterward, Xaden asks if Violet summoned the lightning, but she insists that it wasn’t her, since there is no access to magic on the isle.

It is revealed that Marlis is actually the queen. When Violet explains that they are searching for the seventh dragon breed, Marlis insists that no dragons have been seen on the isles for hundreds of years. Violet then asks for an alliance in the coming war, but Marlis refuses. She does, however, allow them to stay and rest on her isle. Out of curiosity, Violet asks what the cost of their help would be. Marlis answers simply—dragons.

Marlis states that she will only agree to fight alongside them if they deliver 12 dragon eggs—two of every breed. The squad refuses, as they do not deal in dragons. After resting for a day, they travel to the next isle, Hedotis, known as the island of wisdom. To gain an audience with its leadership, the triumvirate, one of them must prove their wisdom. Along the journey, Violet notices potential romantic tension between Cat and Trager. Upon arriving in Hedotis, they are greeted by Faris, a member of the triumvirate. He offers them lodging at his home and introduces his wife, Talia—who turns out to be Xaden’s mother.

Violet and her squad accept Faris’s offer to stay in his home, but Xaden refuses to speak to his mother, Talia. She invites them to dinner. In privacy, Xaden shares with Violet that he didn’t know his mother was from Hedotis, though it now makes sense that she told bedtime stories with arinmint tea and whispered about people with purple eyes who lived without war. Uncertain, he asks Violet whether she thinks he should go, but she refuses to make the decision for him. She reminds him that her own mother just died, and she would give anything to have one more dinner with her. Xaden admits that he does not want to give his mother any of his time after she abandoned him. He reveals that she left on his 10th birthday. As they talk, they see two young boys running outside the house, and Xaden realizes that his mother has more children. He finally agrees to attend the dinner after learning that the triumvirate will also be present. Meanwhile, Violet sets a plan into motion. She has Andarna discreetly follow the two boys when they leave to stay with their grandparents. Later, in the kitchen, she hands Talia a vial, claiming that it contains dried arinmint. Talia gratefully accepts, believing arinmint tea will make Xaden feel more at ease and remind him of childhood.

At dinner, Violet and her squad meet the triumvirate, which consists of Nairi, Faris, and Roslyn. The dinner itself serves as their test to determine if they are worthy of an audience. During the conversation, the triumvirate questions why Xaden never formed an alliance with Cat. She explains that she agreed to the proposal, but Xaden refused. They suggest that he should be with her long enough to produce an heir and propose drafting a temporary marriage contract, to be finalized with a legal ceremony the next day. Xaden agrees to have the contract drawn up—but gives them the spelling of Violet’s full name instead. He tells them that Violet is the one thing he has chosen for himself and refuses to give her up for an alliance.

When the triumvirate asks for their opinion on the city, Violet responds with criticism. She acknowledges that it is perfectly designed but cruel, as it was built over the ruins of a previous city, erasing its history to create something aesthetically pleasing and efficient. This, she argues, reflects their intolerance toward anything that does not meet these standards. The triumvirate dismisses this criticism, pointing out that they don’t even know the real name of the Continent. Aaric surprises them by revealing that, according to records, it was once called Amaralys, though Poromish records referred to it as Amelekis.

For dessert, they are served chocolate cake. Faris mentions that Talia has been saving chocolate for weeks. Violet suddenly makes a connection—Talia gave Xaden chocolate cake on the day she abandoned him, making this more than just a coincidence. Talia must have known they were coming. When Faris requests more forks, Violet notices that the triumvirate and Talia are missing theirs and immediately senses that something is wrong. She stops her squad from eating, but it’s too late—Garrick has already taken a bite. Moments later, he collapses onto the table and stops breathing.

Xaden senses that Garrick’s heart is still faintly beating, but Faris refuses to reveal what was in the cake. Smugly, he asks if Violet will threaten to kill him for the information, but she turns the tables—she has already poisoned them through the arinmint tea served before dinner. She reveals that she gave her squad the antidote beforehand and offers to give the triumvirate the cure in exchange for the antidote that will save Garrick. While Mira, Drake, Cat, and Maren work to secure the house against any outside threats, Dain rushes to retrieve Violet’s book on Hedotis from her room. Meanwhile, Violet and Ridoc search for the cook. When Violet notices blue stains on his hands, she immediately recognizes the poison. The cook suddenly attacks Ridoc, and Violet throws a dagger, pinning his hand to the doorframe. When she turns back, she is horrified to see that the cook’s knife is lodged in Ridoc’s side.

Violet screams for Ridoc, fearing he has been fatally wounded, but the knife only caught the edge of his flight jacket and embedded into the counter. Dain returns with her father’s book, and Violet flips through it to find the entry on zakia berries, which are poisonous when fermented but can be treated with fig or lime applied to the back of the throat within an hour. She immediately sends Dain to retrieve figs from a silver tray on the veranda near her room. They crush the figs into water and get Garrick to swallow it. When he regains consciousness, Xaden nearly kills Faris in a rage, and Ridoc tries to stop him. Seeing that Xaden is not himself, Violet steps between him and Ridoc, fearing what he might do. She manages to calm Xaden.

Faris insists that Violet and her squad will never be allowed to leave unharmed. However, she reveals that Andarna is outside his parents’ home, and if he does not let them go, she will kill his two sons. Faris allows them to leave. Before departing, Violet offers them all the antidote.

Violet’s squad then flies to the next isle, Zehyllna. Unlike previous locations, the people there are not frightened by the sight of dragons. Instead, they wave as the squad approaches, seemingly expecting them. As they land, they realize there are thousands of seats filled with people, as though the entire island had been waiting for their arrival. When they land, they realize magic is active on the isle.

There is less magic on this isle than they are used to, but the dragons can once again communicate with each other, and riders and fliers can talk to their dragons and gryphons. Xaden makes Violet promise never to step in again like she did with him and Ridoc, fearing what he might do if he loses control. Violet refuses to stand back and let a friend be threatened.

They are greeted by a woman named Calixta, who introduces herself as the mistress of the day’s festivities. She reveals that the island has been expecting them for weeks and knows about their mission to form an alliance. When they ask to see the queen, Calixta tells them they may—if they accept whatever gifts their god chooses to bestow upon them. Mira instructs the squad to smile and say thank you for every gift, regardless of what it is, as this is how they will receive their favor.

Calixta sits at a table with a large stack of cards, explaining that each one represents a different gift. The group draws cards: Mira is given wine, Maren receives tunics, Dain is slapped in the face, Garrick gets a bucket, Aaric is given a small broken mirror, Xaden receives an empty glass box, Violet is given a broken-looking compass, Ridoc gets cheek kisses from a man, Cat receives a ruby necklace, Drake is given a kitten, and Trager pulls a card with an arrow on it. Before anyone can react, he is immediately shot through the heart with an arrow.

Trager’s gryphon collapses and dies next. Drake holds Cat back, who writhes in his arms as his hand over her mouth muffles her screams. Though Violet wants to break down, she steels herself, smiles at the man who killed Trager, and thanks him. Aaric meets with the queen afterward and successfully negotiates a deal—the isle agrees to provide 40,000 troops to fight in the war against the venin.

Cat convinces them to pick an uninhabited minor isle a day’s flight north in order to peacefully burn the bodies of Trager and his gryphon. Violet decides that they will split up after they’re burned and search the minor isles three times as fast. Then, once Cat is ready, they will leave for Loysam, the next major isle, which is their last chance to find Andarna’s kind.