With all their secrets laid bare, Xaden and Violet have a breakthrough in their relationship. When Violet asks about Xaden’s mother, he reveals her marriage contract specified she was free to leave once Fen’s heir turned 10—which is when she left. Two weeks pass and Jesinia begins translating Lyra’s journal. In a Battle Brief two days before the solstice, Devera and Brennan reveal mass amounts of wyvern and venin have been gathering outside Samara for three days. Violet discovers they are not attacking because they are waiting for Navarre’s wards to fall. She suspects there is someone within Basgiath who plans to bring down the wards.

Against the direction of the Assembly and Brennan, Violet flies for Basgiath alongside 49 other riders from Aretia while all gryphon fliers and first-year riders are left safely behind. At Basgiath, Violet attempts to persuade her mother of the danger to its wards. General Sorrengail does not believe her warnings but allows them to inspect the wardstone anyway. They arrive too late to stop Jack Barlowe from sacrificing his dragon, Baide, to take down the wards. The wardstone breaks and the wards fall.