Four nights after their planning, Violet's riot of eight—now including Mira, thanks to Halden's influence—crosses the border at Samara into drained territory to retrieve the Amelian Citrine from the occupied village of Anca. As they fly beyond the wards, Violet feels the rush of unbound magic, though Tairn notes the venin have actually drained much of it. Andarna is left behind at Samara for safety, giving them a twelve-hour window before Violet suffers dangerous separation pain. A diversionary offensive launched from Samara allows them to slip past enemy lines undetected.

Upon landing in the desiccated ruins of Anca, the ground team—Violet, Xaden, Mira, Captain Grady, Captain Henson, and senior wingleader Aura Beinhaven—searches for the citrine in Amelia's historic house. Tensions simmer: Grady excluded Cat and Poromiel representatives despite their usefulness, and Aura is hostile and fearful. While Violet and Aura stand watch outside, Aura panics at a noise and unleashes fire from a flintstrike device just as Grady emerges from a doorway. Grady is engulfed in flames and killed. The fire rapidly spreads through the drained, tinder-dry buildings, creating an inferno that consumes block after block.

Xaden desperately tries to smother the fire with shadows but cannot keep up with the wind-driven spread. Violet pleads with him to stop, fearing what channeling on drained land could do to him. The group flees through the narrow streets toward the village square for dragon evacuation. Mira mounts Teine successfully, but when Aura runs for her dragon Dagolh, a wyvern intercepts and kills her, impaling her mid-stride. Sgaeyl destroys the wyvern in a ferocious counterattack, ripping it apart in midair.

With no time to spare, Xaden binds Violet to his chest with shadows, and Tairn scoops them both off the ground. A second wyvern approaches on an intercept course, and Violet channels lightning through her conduit, striking it down. Sgaeyl finishes the creature with dragonfire. They fly low through the mountains and cross back within the wards at Samara with three hours to spare before Violet's separation limit from Andarna expires.

Back at Samara, Xaden confronts Lieutenant Pugh for failing to protect Aura from above. Mira reveals she retrieved the citrine, though the stone is cracked and smoke-hued, raising doubts about whether the merchant Courtlyn will accept it. More ominously, Mira also found a note beside the necklace addressed to "Lightning Wielder" and signed by Theophanie, taunting Violet with the claim that she could take Violet whenever she wishes and asking why Violet doesn't simply ask her for the answers she seeks. The group realizes Theophanie knew they would be at Anca, meaning their plans have been compromised—or the dark wielder is watching Violet far more closely than they feared.