The lone eithral that appears throughout the narrative is a symbol of freedom. The eithrals are dragon-like creatures owned by Dacre, lord of the Underlings. He badly abuses them to ensure their loyalty, and he frequently unleashes them upon the mortal world to torment people and sow discord. The eithrals are typically entirely under Dacre’s control, but a single eithral appears frequently when Matilda returns to the mortal world after 13 years. The eithral attacks at random until Matilda uses her Skyward abilities to control her, seeing through her eyes and using her to attack Grimald’s men. Matilda suffers the consequences, but her experience with the eithral frees her from the pressure to hide her abilities: “My twelve-point constellation was fully lit in the sky. I had the power to direct eithrals. I could carry souls back from the dead. The news of my power was going to spread, no matter how much I strove to keep it buried” (377). Matilda cannot hide from her destiny, which frees her from the pressure of suppressing the more powerful elements of herself.

Though Matilda doesn’t know it, taking control of the eithral sets the eithral free. When Matilda approaches her after Thile’s whipping, she thinks she’s brave enough to go close because of their moment of collective consciousness: “I had broken Dacre’s hold on her. We had shared each other’s mind once. I had nearly lost myself within her vastness, and perhaps she had also lost herself within mine” (386-87). Matilda notes that both she and the eithral entered each other’s minds, building empathy for each other. Just as the eithral frees Matilda from having to hide the truth of her power, Matilda frees the eithral from Dacre’s brutality, allowing both of them to choose their own futures.