Iron Flame by Rebecca Yarros Recap / Summary

  

Iron Flame Recap / Summary 

I have made no secret of the fact I have a horrible memory and completely forget important book details when there is a long wait between book releases in a series. I would always go back and reread previous books each time a new one would drop and it got a little exhasting. I've since started making myself recaps - I've done them for series like Throne of Glass, ACOTAR, Crescent City and Red Rising. 

I do chapter by chapter ones as I need to give myself as much detail as possible. They may be too detailed for some, but I share them in hopes they are useful to some. 

One thing to note is that I write these for me and type them out very quickly and so I apologise for any spelling mistakes. And also I know my brain likely confused there, their and they're multiple times while fast typing so again... SORRY! 

Fourth Wing Recaps:

Fourth Wing
Iron Flame
Onyx Storm

Iron Flame Recap / Summary

Part One

Chapter 1: The opening note for this chapter tells us Aretia was originally burned in the Unification year 628th, which was 6 years ago.

Violet is in a kitchen in Aretia eating with her brother, Brennan. She was unconscious for three days and missed her 21st birthday. Her brother now goes by the surname Aisereigh. When Brennan leaves to go to a meeting Violet follows after him. 

Bodhi and Imogen are also listening at the door. Only need 5 of the 7 Assembly members there to cast a vote, 4 votes needed for anything to pass. Brennan is in the meeting along with Xaden, as well as a man named Major Ferris, women called Trissa and Suri.

They can't creat a weapons forge yet because they need a 'luminary' and are currently in talks to try to get one from someone called Viscount Tecarus but Xaden won't agree to his offer.

Suri is angry when she finds that Violet is listening - she doesn't believe she can be trusted but Xade has vouched for her already. Refer to what he had to do as brutal custom but Violet doesn't know what that means.

Chapter 2: Opening note: There is a valley above the Riorson house that is the hatching place for the Dubhmadinn Line, which both Codagh and Tairn come from.

This is where Brennan has spent the last 6 years when everyone believed he was dead. Naolin was Tairn's previous rider, who they are told was killed trying to save Brennan. What people don't know is that Naolin did succeed in bringing Brennan back, even though it killed him.

Brennan came here because he can't stand by while innocent people are killed, especially knowing that their kingdom knows and ignores that it is happening.

There are two types of wyvern that they have seen so far - one breathes blue fire and the other is a little faster and breathes green fire. He believes they have only 6 months before the venin and wyvern numbers grow enough for them to attack Navarre.

Brennan believes Aretia may have a wardstone that is inactive, even though they believed only one was made. They don't currently know how to get it working again.

Violet finally gets taken to see her dragons and she finally sees what has happened to Andarna. She has doubled in size and is now black, as dragons are only gold when young. Using her power to stop time has forced her to age quicker than she should. She will need to get back to Vale and go into a type of hibernation until she can finish the process.

Violet wants them to return to the college, as she believes all rebellion kids will be killed if they don't. Brennan doesn't want her to go as he thinks she will be executed if she does.

Violet learns the names of the three other rebel kids with them Eya, Ciaran and Masen. 

Xaden will work to teach Violet to keep up her shields so Dain can't use his powers on her.

Chapter 3: Opening note: Just a note about how the Riders Graduation is very boring compared to the others.

They have flown back to Basgiath. 

Tells Tairn to pass a message to Sgaeyl that she wants to talk to Xaden. Xaden points out she could have said it to him in her mind but she no longer wants to do that with him.

She asks Xaden if the rebels or revolution as they call it, have any scribes in it but he confirms they don't. 

First thing her and Xaden do when they return is go to Liam's room and Violet grabs the letters he keeps under his bed so she can hide them in her room to stop them being burnt. Once someone dies, it is expected that all their possessions be burned. She runs into Rhiannon and Ridoc and she asks Rhiannon to keep them hidden for her, just in case they are executed.

She questions how he can lie to those he cares about as it is something she will need to learn to do. He still insists he didn't lie, he just didn't tell the whole truth. She reminds him he promised he will tell her everything she wants to know but he stipulates he will tell her everything she wants to know about him, which is different to what he said.

She tells him she needs complete honesty from him about everything or she won't be able to forgive him or be with him. 

They arrive to death roll just as their own names are being read out.

Chapter 4: Opening note: Dreamless sleep is what they call the hibernation that dragon young go into. All humans know about it is that it is vital and the time it lasts varies for each dragon breed. 

Violet's mother is confused why they were added to the death roll when they are all clearly still alive. 

Xaden tells of how Aetos sent them off to fight - how they were sent to Athebyne but then lies and says they were attacked by gryphons and that Liam amd Soleil both died.

Aetos is angry and comes to speak to Xaden and Violet but Xaden knows he can't truly accuse them of anything without revealing to everyone that they know about venin and wyvern.

Dain comes running towards her seemingly relieved to find she's alive but when he tries to reach for her she warns him not to touch her or she'll cut his hands off. 

Xaden is determined to deal with Dain his way, so in front of everyone he makes a point to say that everyone knows Violet has chosen him and not Dain. 

Then Graduation begins and all third years will now be made lieutenants in the army and be told where they will be sent. Xaden gets his and he tells Violet he will come see her before he has to leave in the morning.

Violet is now officially a 2nd Year, and of 11 in her original squad only her, Nadine, Sawyer, Ridoc and Rhiannon made it through.

Chapter 5: Opening note: Major Burton Varish caused three deaths of prisoners while interrogating them and so was moved from his wing because of it.

Riders are celebrating graduation. Xaden shows up to say goodbye. Has to be out of his room tonight which is why he is leaving before morning as he knows Violet won't offer to let him sleep in her bed for the night. She says she won't until he is willing to give her complete honesty. 

Xaden is being sent to the frontlines.

Colonel Aetos introduces them to Major Varrish, who will be their new vice commandant. They give her and Xaden orders from Melgren. Her orders say she can have 2 days leave every two weeks to go and see Xaden and Xaden's likely says the same thing about Violet. It means they will get to see each other every 7 days, when their dragons don't spend more than 3 days apart usually. 

Aetos says he is no longer worried about what Xaden and Violet know as the knowledge will die with them.

Chapter 6: Opening note: Quadrants are supposed to obey one Code of Codex but riders follow the Codex more and essentially get their own rules to follow.

Aetos has essentially threatened to kill both of them, as well as making a threat to Mira's life too.

She realises he is stationed a days flight away which means when they do meet, it will only be for a few hours before one of them has to fly back.

He warns her she can only trust those who were with them in Resson. 

He leaves without even kissing her as she still doesn't trust him.

Dain has been made their wingleader now Xaden is gone. Rhiannon is now their squad leader.

Chapter 7: Opening note: Anytime someone requests a text from the Archives it is noted down.

It has been 5 days since Xaden left and the new first years will arrive the next day.

They have a new professor, Professor Grady who teachers the Rider Survival Couse on how to survive if they fall off their dragon. It is kept secret as they have two tests to do and pass before they can make it to third year.

They will be trained in how to survive and how to withstand torture - will be taken at some point and tested on that too. 

Violet plans to defy Xaden's request for her not to get involved with what the rebelion are doing and instead heads to the archives to see Jesinia. She asks if they have books on when the college was founded and why they chose it as the location for the wards. She finds her two books on it. 

Chapter 8: Opening note: From Brennan's book talking about how hard it is to watch the First Years on the parapet as you have to watch them die.

Xaden left her books on weaving fabric into knots and even left her fabric to practice with and she has no clue why.

Violet recognises one of the first years and refers to him as Cam, but he gives the name Aaric Graycastle. Aaric is his middle name and Graycastle is one he made up. He is someone Violet has known since childhood, and who obviously doesn't want anyone to know that he is actually King Tauri's son. His father doesn't know his doing it and likely won't be happy, since he already lost a son at the college a few years ago.

Liam's sister Sloane shows up and Violet helps her even though she shouldn't. Sloane knows who she is and know how her brother really died and blames her for it. She makes it across the parapet.

Violet notices that Ridoc has got a tattoo - it is of a swordtail. 

Sloane is placed in First Wing until Dain has her moved to theirs instead.

Major Varrish's dragon is orange, called Solas and only has one eye. Three first years try to run and he burns them, but doesn't care that Violet and her wing are in the way so they have to duck to try to avoid it. Solas ends up killing over half of their third squad. Violet's back is burned but it didn't go through her armour.

Ciaran was one of the people burned to death.

Tairn shows up when Solas goes to take out someone else who is running. He is there to confront Solas for burning Violet. Solas flies off and Tairn reveals he threatened to kill Varrish if Solas hurts her again. Also reveals he is the one who took his eye. 

Chapter 9: Opening note: The mountains of Steelridge range where Basgiath college now is and so are the wards was originally the breeding ground for green dragons from the Uaineloidsig line.

Violet has been having nightmares - mostly about the one venin that escaped them at Resson, the Sage. She goes running every morning as she can't sleep and because she knows she isn't a strong runner and needs to improve if she's going to survive.

Battle Brief is next and they learn about two new gryphon attacks. One happened in Sipene, a place not far from Montserrat. And the second was on Athebyne. The shock of them talking about it makes her shields slip until Tairn reminds her to put them up again.

Violet goes to Bodhi, tells him she wants to help but he tells her Xaden has given him instructions to make sure she doesn't. 

Rhiannon talks to Violet and reveals she thinks the college is hiding something from them. She believes something is happening in the Healer Quadrant because she took an injured 1st year there and he was ushered away behind a guarded door.

Sloane is put to face off with Aaric on the mat but wants to fight Violet instead but is refused. A first year boy, one they saw cruelly throw someone from the parapet, comes forward when he hears Violet's name. Nadine jokingly pretends to be her and the first year grabs her and snaps her neck.

Chapter 10: Opening note: Some join the Riders Quadrant because they've been paid to go in and kill someone. Someone tries to assassinate Mira but she managed to kill them.

Nadine is dead and Violet is angry. She tells everyone to not interfere while she fights the boy who killed her. She quickly makes work of using her daggers - throwing two at him and cutting the tendons by his knee with others. He grabs her and she manages to break his nose but he still won't let go. Manages to get hold of her and squeeze her throat.

And as he tries to kill her he repeats what Aetos said to her and Xaden about their secrets dying with them and she realises he is who sent him to kill her. His eyes are red-rimmed and it appears he might be under the influence of some kind of substance.

Violet manages to use a dagger t stab him over and over again in his kidneys, killing him and saving herself. Violet is in a lot of pain and has a concussion.

She doesn't leave after and watches the rest of the challenges. Sloane isn't a good fighter and now she's worried she might not make it through.

When it's over she goes to her room and Xaden is there - he was supposed to come the day before but didn't. She asks Xaden about Samara where he is posted. He has to prove himself again and is treated differently because of who he is, who his father was.

She asks about the wards on her room as Rhiannon couldn't get in but he says she can bring anyone in as long as she's touching them when they come in. 

She tells Xaden about Sloane and why she hates her. But Xaden believes he is to blame for Liam dying.

Xaden has to leave to do things and tells her to sleep. He gives her a piece of paper, tells her this is one of the ways he can start to let her in. He says he will see her in Samara and gives her directions to his room, which is also warded but his room will only let him or Violet enter.

She realises what he gave her is a letter from him.

Chapter 11: Opening note: From the letter Xaden gave her that tells her Garrick is his best friend and then Liam and Bodhi are his next closest friends. 

It has been three days since Xaden left and she is still running with Imogen every morning. Jesinia shows up to talk to Violet. She gives her a book about the first riders that she wanted. She also says she needs Violet's help - she's trying to translate a book from Old Lucerish, which is one Violet knows how to read.

She suddenly sees a 2nd year Third Wing student being dragged away by two riders and Professor Markham. Jesinia believes it is her fault because that student had requested a book from the Archives and she had noted it down but won't tell Violet what book he requested.

Mira sends Violet a letter and she's disappointed it wasn't from Xaden. Rhiannon asks if they are still together and she says no. While she can't tell her the full story, she does say it was because he lied to her and she can't trust him.

She notices a bunch of her sister's letter has censored so she can't read it. 

Varrish comes to speak to her - he heard about the assassination attempt and mocks her for almost being killed by a first year. He mentions Andarna and that he finds it weird that her father was writing about feathertails and now she has ended up with one. 

They will need to learn how to do a 'running landing' which is getting off their dragon while it is moving. It won't be easy for Violet to do.

Violet has to leave to go to Xaden - Bodhi tells her to pass along that the next shipment is almost complete and that it is raw. Tries to tell Violet he has never seen Xaden care for anyone like he cares for her and then says not even for Catriona and she asks who that is but he won't say.

Bodhi fended off his own assassination attempt and other rebel kids have also been attacked.

She's about to mount Tairn when Varrish appears to tell her she needs to delay her leaving. He wants to search her bag before she leaves. Realises afterwards that Xaden and Bodhi knew it would happen. Luckily they didn't check Tairn, who has two bags on him.

Chapter 12: Opening note: From one of Xaden's letter, Sgaeyl says she chose him after she saw him kill a student that was bullying Garrick.

She makes it to Samara and Xaden's room but he isn't there. She uses their bond to find him and he is out sparring with another rider. She speaks to someone in the crowd watching to find out what is going on and learns they are fighting for the only pass available to them this weekend.

Xaden is easily winning before he spots Violet and gets distracted. She finally speaks to him through the bond to tell him to stop toying with the other guy, Jarrett, and win. He earns 48 hours off but tells them he only needs 24, which is how long he will have with her.

She wants him but knows she shouldn't. She does ask him to kiss her though and he does. But then she wants more and tries to convince him they can keep it to just sex. But he can't do it, as he wants what they used to have and knows he won't get that by sleeping with her.

He says he is happy to kiss her whenever she wants but can't sleep with her until she can give him all of her and can tell him she loves him again.

She asks Xaden about the daggers they made to kill venin. They are made from same material that powers wards. A part of the dagger is an alloy, one that can hold power. This is what can hold power and make the wards stronger. It needs to be imbued with power and when it is used up they need to do it again.

They need to smelt the alloy to make more daggers which is why they want an armory at Aretia. A dragon can fire a crucible but hey need the luminary to make the fire hot enough to smelt the alloy.

Chapter 13: Opening note: Academic punishments are given by the commandant's officer. 

Violet returns to Basgiath and is summoned to see Carr and Varrish - Varrish had ordered her to bring Andarna to a flight lesson and she didn't, so he wishes to punish her for it. He has her practicer her lightning powers over and over again. She is starting to burn herself out though as they are pushing her past her current limits.

After 40 strikes she collapses and Tairn demands they finish. Varrish orders her to do one more strike and she does but she gets an arm cramp that makes her hold the power and not release it like she should. She can't stop it, which means it will kill her. But she manages to cut it off.

Tairn takes her to water to try and cool her down. If Andarna doesn't come to the next lesson than the next punishment will likely kill Violet.

Navil Jacek is the student Markham took for requesting a certain book - he was then found dead in his room and Violet believes they killed him.

Sloane hasn't improved and now Violet is worried she won't survive her first challenge.

Violet is walking to a physics lesson when a bag is thrown over her head and she loses consciousness

. 

Chapter 14: Opening note: Infantry and Riders struggle to trust each other or work together.

Violet wakes up - was taken as part of the RSC training along with some others. They are now in a forest. It is her, Rhiannon, Sawyer and Ridoc.

Xaden and Sgaeyl are due to arrive the next day so if it takes longer than that she tells Tairn to leave without her to see Sgaeyl.

There are also infantry students with them too. 

Professor Grady shows up and advises them to hydrate but when they drink from the flasks they realise they've been drugged with something that cuts off their connection to their dragon and signet powers too.

Violet's squad is paired up with 4 infantry cadets called Tomas, Brisa, Mirabel and Cohen.

The riders and infantry are both given a map and told they will need to work together to use the skills they learnt in class to get to an extraction point on the map in order to succeed. Also have a few medics with them and a scribe, Aoife.

There are two groups taking part and the dragons from the other group will be trying to hunt them down.

It takes them far too long to realise they have been given two completely different maps and that's why they aren't having any luck figuring out where to go.

They come across Jack Barlowe's dragon who still hates Violet for killing him. This encounter ends with one of the students, Tomas, getting killed before the dragon leaves.

Chapter 15: Opening note: Just a warning in Brennan's book about how bad the RSC course is.

By the end of the next day they still haven't found the extraction zone and Violet has missed seeing Xaden. Dyre, one of students who is with Violet's team, says he owes her a debt because she saved him from Jack's dragon.

Rhiannon tells Violet that she has noticed something is up with her and that she is pulling away from people and acting differently.

They are eventually picked up the next day having failed to complete the task.

Tairn reveals this is the first year they took away the connection to the dragons and signet power. No one is happy about it, as it means they could technically do it whenever they want. 

Chapter 16: Opening note: Another letter from Xaden, this time revealing his dad wanted him to join the infantry like he did.

Violet goes to the archives to ask Jesinia what book Jacek wanted that got him killed. He had asked for information on a border attack the archive has no record of, even though he swore it happened as he had family that were killed in the attack.

Jesinia admits she has never reported any of the books Violet has requested, even though she should. After she asked for the folktales and they didn't have it, Jesinia realised the Archives are incomplete and that it might be intentional.

Jesinia agrees to help Violet but wants something in return.

Sloane is going to be made to have her first Challenge against a student called Dasha. Violet knew she wasn't strong enough to win so poisoned Dasha in order to help her. She tells Sloane what she did after the fight and tells her she will have to train with Imogen to get better. Sloane doesn't want to agree until Violet tells her she has 50 letters Liam wrote to her and she can earn them one a week by going to train with Imogen.

Jesinia brings Violet a book on the First Six and we find out what she wanted in return is to read the book of folktales.

Violet is about to leave to fly to Xaden when Varrish shows up to check her things. When she finally gets to Samara she finds out Xaden is on 24 hour duty somewhere she has no clearance and can't see him.

Chapter 17: Opening note: To create Navarre and the wards the dragons lost one of their hatching areas and humans lost a lot of lives while migrating there.

Xaden & Violet believe they are purposefully being kept apart as a punishment.

Rhiannon gets a letter from her parents showing a public notice from their village about being wary of strangers. Markham takes it off her.

Chapter 18: Opening note: From the book on the First Six she learns they pushed the wards as far as they could to make Navarre.

Xaden shows up the next Saturday earlier than expected and she's in her room going over her books. When he realises she is doing research on the First Six, he gets angry and realises Brennan told her about the wardstone in Aretia. He's not happy she's researching classified things in the Archives.

She eventually agrees to let him come meet Jesinia so he can see for himself that Violet can trust her. They run into the mender, Nolan, who looks terrible.

Xaden learns she let Jesinia take the book of folktales and is angry, again - so far this book is mainly these two having the same exact fight every time they meet up and apparently they're not exhausted by it but I am!

They have another fight where he accuses her of shutting him out when he's trying to be more open. But then she realises he wants her to tell him she loves him again but he has never, not once, told her he loves her. 

He storms off and then leaves without saying goodbye.

Chapter 19: Violet has flight training again and Andarna still isn't there but when Varrish tries to punsih her again, Tairn fights back. He attacks Varrish's dragon, Solas, and gets her by the neck and threatens to kill her if Varrish doesn't agree to not punish Violet. He agrees but Tairn also makes him get down on his knees and apologise to her too. 

Chapter 20: Opening note: Another letter from Xaden where he says he forgot what it was like to be loved after his father was killed. He came to the college and became the brutal person he needed to be but remembered what it was like after Violet told him she loved him. 

Violet flies to Samara and Xaden comes to find her right away and tells her she needs to ask him to kiss her in front of everyone or she may be made to sleep in a different room. She has no idea what he is going on about but gives in and kisses him.

Mira shows up - she has been moved to Samara. 

Violet asks Mira about the wards because her signet power is that she's a shield and can also extend the wards. She can't tell her much though as a lot of information on the wards is classified. 

She brings up the wyvern to Mira, testing the waters and trying to get her to guess because she wants to tell her about them and also Brennan being alive. Mira just thinks she's sleep deprived and we, the audience, learn that maybe Xaden is right not to want to tell her everything because she can't keep her mouth shut.

Xaden returns from his duty to find her in bed, struggling to sleep. They decide to talk rather than fight. She admits that she almost told Mira and that he was right not to trust her. She asks him about the book on knots and he says he can tie every single one of them and thought she could learn. She opens up about her nightmares. 

She asks what the alloy is and is surprised when he tells her. It is Talladium, a few other ores and also contains dragon shells, which have magic.

Chapter 21: Violet can't do rolling dismounts and is now in a sling as she got injured trying. Tairn says they will need to make adjustments for her so she can graduate.

She has started learning to tie the knots in her spare time.

There was an attack in the East and Masen was killed. He is the 4th perso who was in Resson with her that has now died/been killed and many others including her have been attacked. 

Dain tries to talk to her and when she continues to refuse he uses his rank to get her paired against him on the sparring mat. He talks while they fight and denies knowing what his father was going to do. She says she can never forgive him for taking her memory and then telling his father what he saw as he got Liam killed because of it.

He still insists she doesn't know everything about Xaden and tells her that her own mother was the one who put the 107 marks into Xaden's back.

Rhiannon makes her talk after the sparring session and she reveals how people who went with her have been dying or getting attacked. Tells Rhiannon that what Dain stole from her was a memory, revealing what his signet is to Rhiannon.

Rhiannon asks what killed Liam's dragon but Violet won't say and tells her she can't ask again.

Aaric breaks his wrist during his fight and Violet agrees to take him to the infirmary. She asks where the King believes he is and he says on a tour of the Kingdom for his 20th birthday.

Aaric knows what the Kingdom is doing - about venin and wyvern and that is why he is here. He realised after his guards started carrying around the new daggers.

Chapter 22: Violet dreams of the Sage, who says he has been waiting years for someone with her powers.

Xaden visits and is going to take her down to the forge so she can see where they get the weapons from that they smuggle out - he is trying to be more open. She in turn reveals she found a book that show the First Six carved the wardstones themselves.

She needs to find a text written by one of the Six and she is sure one must exist as her father spoke of it once.

Varrish intercepts them before they can reach the forge, she is supposed to be in interrogation training with the others but couldn't grab her because of the wards he put on her room.

Xaden doesn't want her to go because he thinks Varrish will kill her. She knows he can't stop it so she uses her connection with Sgaeyl to get him to let her go, even if he is unhappy about it.

Chapter 23: Violet is given a secret phrase that she has to resist giving up even under torture. She's put in a room with Rhiannon, Ridoc and Sawyer and get to ask questions to Professor Grady first, as well as eat and drink.

They can also try to get out of the torture by escaping, but no squad has ever managed it.

They are told to each share a secret before it begins - something else they will then need to keep secret. Rhiannon shares about when her and Violet snuck out. Sawyer's is that he never told his family he had to redo first year. Ridoc's is that he is scared of snakes.

Violet tries to say hers is that she loves Xaden, but the others insist it isn't a secret and everybody knows that. So instead she tells them that their infantry are killing Poromish civilians that try to cross their borders. 

Violet warns them not to drink the tea offered as she recognises the smell as the same thing that cut them off from their dragons and powers before. 

They are taken to another room where Rhi, Ridoc and Sawyer are chained to a wall and Violet is strapped to a chair in the middle of it. Two riders come in to start the interrogation, one with the signet power to tell when they're lying.

They beat them all and then leave. Varrish comes in and is angry they haven't broken yet and so he brings in Dain.

Chapter 24: Opening note: Every once in a while a squad come along that outshines everyone but then burns out very quickly and turn on each other.

Violet uses their connection to tell Xaden that Dain is there. He insists he is coming but when Violet realises that is exactly what Varrish wants, she tells him to stay away.

Varrish wants Dain to practice his powers on Violet and learn how to see memories that are before their most recent. Dain refuses and walks out.

Varrish punches Violet's dislocated shoulder and she passes out. When she wakes up she is being mended by Nolon.

He warns her that Varrish has extended their torture by another day and that they need to escape. Then he leaves, making up a lie to convince Varrish to leave with him. 

Ridoc melts the hinges off the first door so they can get back into the first holding room. The main door is also locked but Violet feels one of her daggers heat and when it presses against the door, the door unlocks.

Chapter 25: Opening note: A part of Panchek's journal that says if they ever wanted to invade Poromiel then they should first go to the Academy in Zolya where the gryphon riders are trained.

They become the first squad to ever escape the interrogation.

They attend Battle Brief and there is a notice informing them that two days ago Zolya was defeated by dragons with blue fire. About 10,000 people died.

Violet works out the notice was printed locally and wasn't approved. 

Markham pretends it is a piece of propaganda they were supposed to be studying. Then Markham announces what Nolon has been working on for months - he has managed to mend Jack Barlowe, the student Violet crushed under a mountain.

Jack is alive and still wants her dead.

Chapter 26: Opening note: Menders aren't the same as healers. Healers have a strict code to stick to but menders don't.

They announce there was an attack on Samara the night before and one rider was badly hurt. Violet believes it was Xaden and walks out of class to go to him, even though she doesn't have leave.

Chapter 27: Opening note: Rider's need to be able to fully control their shields by third year or they risk being controlled by their dragons emotions.

She immediately goes to find Xaden in Samara and finds him sparring against Garrick and seeming completely fine.

Violet starts to panic about what she did and why she came there, feels overwhelmed by Tairn's emotions.

Xaden drags her into a shower room to calm her down. He shows her his arm where he was clearly injured and almost lost it, but was mended. Tells her he would have done the exact same thing if it had been her who was hurt.

He realises she came because she was worried, which he takes as more evidence she loves him. He kisses her.

She tells him she wants him but he tries to deny her because she still hasn't said she loves him. But he eventually caves and they have sex. 

Afterwards he invites her to come drop some daggers off at a rendezvous point.

Chapter 28: Opening note: Gryphon riders don't have signets but do have powers.

Reach the meeting point and 7 gryphon riders arrive. One of them is Syrena, she was there at the lake in Resson. One of the women with them is looking at Xaden like she wants him.

Xaden questions the attack on Samara where he was attacked by a gryphon. They attacked because they wanted to try to get more daggers. He says if they steal any daggers from outposts then he will cut off every shipment to them.

The other woman is called Cat and she seems to not like Violet very much.

They question if Xaden would really let them die and he says he would if it meant saving his own people. 

Xaden says he is fighting, getting them weapons and currently building a forge to do more. Cat says he has had two chances to get a luminary from Viscout Tecarus and has turned it down and Cat blames Violet for that.

Syrena calls Cat by the name Catriona and she realises this is the woman that Liam once spoke about when he said he'd never seen Xaden care about anyone the way he cares for Violet, not even Catriona.

Chapter 29: Opening note: A recruit taking off without leave is likely to be executed or court martialled. 

Violet asks if Cat is his ex and he confirms she is.

She wants to know what the Viscount wanted for the Luminary and he says he wanted to see Violet use her powers. But Xaden doesn't trust that he wouldn't then try to take Violet.

She then tells him about Jack, the Zolya attack and the interrogation. He gives her his flight jacket to wear and gives her a new dagger to keep on her.

She flies back and Varrish is waiting for her. She signals to Rhiannon to get the dagger before he can find it and she manages to.

Professor Kaori shows up and accuses Varrish of abusing his power.

Violet is cleared of all charges for leaving when she did.

Rhiannon asks what the dagger is for and she finally tells her, Ridoc and Sawyer about the Venin.

Chapter 30: Opening note: Only riders and some assigned scribes can enter the Riders Quadrant, others do so at the risk of being killed.

She tells Rhi, Sawyer and Ridoc everything that ahppened with the venin but doesn't tell them about where she went after she was stabbed - so not about Aretia or Brennan being alive.

They quickly learn all their dragons already know but as the Empyrean is undecided on whether to help or not, no dragon will risk telling their rider.

They tell Violet they want to help her with the research into the wards.

Ridoc reveals he knows that the college has two journals from the First Six because he saw them noted down in a ledger in Violet's mum's office - also saw it is kept in an underground vault. 

She tells Jesinia about the journals and vault and she says she will try to find out where it is located.

She doesn't get to see Xaden for three weeks and it becomes clear that they are being kept apart as a punishment again.

During Threshing Aaris bonds to a Blue Clubtail and Sloane gets a Red Daggertail, like her brother Liam had.

Jesinia sends a note to meet - she's found the vault. Ridoc agrees to go and see her as Violet has a watch at the Academic Tower.

Violet reaches the top of the tower to relieve Eya when 4 people in infantry uniforms attack them. They are assassins, paid to take them both out - clearly Aetos is still trying to kill all the people who went to Resson.

She manages to take down three but Eya is stabbed and the fourth guy manages to throw her off the tower until she is clinging to the edge of it. He's about to push her completely off when someone stabs him through the throat.

Chapter 31: Jack is the one who saved her. He says dying and coming back gave him a second chance and made him change. He says they are even as now he has given her a second chance too.

Eya is dead.

Ridoc arrives and tells her Jesinia found the vault but they need someone from King Tauri's bloodline to get through it as it is a royal vault. 

Chapter 32: Xaden and Violet finally get to see each other and she tells him about how she told her squad everything. She also tells him the plan to break into the vault and he insists on coming too.

They will go with Ridoc, Sawyer, Bodhi, Imogen and Quinn but still need to get Aaric to work with them. 

She tells Aaric they need his help and he can refuse outright and leave but if he wants to know why and what they need his help with they will have to kill him if he doesn't agree because of the knowledge he will have.

Aaric doesn't want to help because he hates Xaden for killing his brother Alic. Xaden says his brother was a bad person an he doesn't regret it.

Aaric finally agrees because he hears they will be stealing from his father and he hates his father more than he hates Xaden. 

Jesinia says only four of them can come and they pick Xaden, Aaric, Violet and Imogen.

UPDATED AS I READ!

Chapter 33: Opening note: 

Chapter 34: Opening note: T

Chapter 35: Opening note: T

Chapter 36: Opening note: T

Part 2

Chapter 37: Opening note: T

Chapter 38: Opening note: T

Chapter 39: Opening note: T

Chapter 40: Opening note: T

Chapter 41: Opening note: T

Chapter 42: Opening note: T

Chapter 43: Opening note: T

Chapter 44: Opening note: T

Chapter 45: Opening note: T

Chapter 46: Opening note: T

Chapter 47: Opening note: T

Chapter 48: Opening note: T

Chapter 49: Opening note: T

Chapter 50: Opening note: T

Chapter 51: Opening note: T

Chapter 52: Opening note: T

Chapter 53: Opening note: T

Chapter 54: Opening note: T

Chapter 55: Opening note: T

Chapter 56: Opening note: T

Chapter 57: Opening note: T

Chapter 58: Opening note: T

Chapter 59: Opening note: T

Chapter 60: Opening note: T

Chapter 61: Opening note: T

Chapter 62: Opening note: T

Chapter 63: Opening note: T

Chapter 64: Opening note: T

Chapter 65: Opening note: T

Chapter 2: Opening note: T