The chapter opens in the immediate aftermath of Trager's death by arrow. Violet and Ridoc lower Trager's body to the ground, confirming he is dead. Xaden grabs Violet's shoulders and commands her not to react, warning that any outburst would mean Trager died in vain. Drake restrains Cat, covering her mouth to muffle her screams. Garrick steadies the stunned Ridoc and gets him back into formation. Across the field, Trager's gryphon Silaraine stumbles forward, straining to reach her rider, before collapsing and dying—her bond severed by Trager's death. Kiralair shields Sila's body with a wing. Andarna roars in grief, and Tairn confirms the gryphon is gone.

Violet forces herself to suppress her anguish and step into her role as mission commander. She looks to Mira, who silently urges her to handle the situation, reminding Violet that their mother died to give them a chance in this war. Violet reasons that if she fails here, the alliance—and Trager's sacrifice—will be for nothing. She turns to the archer who killed Trager and Sila, bows her head, and forces out the words "Thank you," fulfilling the ritual requirement while privately seething.

Eight hours later, the squad reconvenes on the moonlit field. Mira reports that Aaric successfully agreed to terms with the Zehyllna queen: an advance party will arrive within months, and the full force of forty thousand troops will follow when Navarre is ready. The dragons and gryphons are exhausted from searching the isle for Andarna's kind—the irids—but they are nowhere to be found. Violet privately fears the consequences of failure: Andarna's heartbreak, Melgren's fury, imprisonment, and losing the war to the dark wielders.

Cat, grief-stricken and flat-voiced, insists that Trager and Sila be burned together on an uninhabited minor isle, refusing to leave them in Xortrys or Loysam where their remains might be disturbed. Despite Drake's concern about deviating from their charted route, Cat's demand is honored. Violet agrees and proposes that after the funeral, the group can split up to search the minor isles more efficiently for the irids before continuing to Loysam—their last major destination and possibly their last chance to find Andarna's kind.

That night, the squad sleeps within a protective circle of dragons on the field. Violet confides in Xaden that she froze during the crisis, doubting her fitness to lead. Xaden reassures her, arguing that Tairn—a general among dragons—chose her, and that the real command on any battlefield comes from dragons, not humans. He tells her she has the capacity to become a great leader, pointing to her past accomplishments at Deverelli, Unnbriel, and poisoning the triumvirate of Hedotis. Violet promises to stand by his side and protect Tyrrendor, and vows to find a cure for his dark wielder infection. Xaden quietly insists there is no cure for him and that she must become better than him, because ultimately "there's only you."