Leaving the aftermath of the attack, Violet, Xaden, and Garrick head to Violet’s summoned appearance before the Senarium. Garrick and Imogen have urged Xaden to sleep elsewhere for safety, but Violet rejects their fears and reaffirms her trust in him. Outside the great hall, General Melgren insists Violet enter alone, while Xaden warns he will be close by if needed.

Inside, six provincial nobles sit with Melgren; Lewellen, revealed as a longtime secret representative for Aretia, is present. The council announces a “task force” to seek and recruit the seventh dragon breed to bolster numbers and find ways to kill venin. Violet presents Andarna’s written demands as conditions for participation and asserts the Aretian riot is not under Navarre’s command.

Melgren declares Captain Grady will lead the mission and that squad composition, including whether Xaden is included, will be at Grady’s discretion. Violet argues Tairn and Sgaeyl cannot be separated and says team selection is one of Andarna’s demands, but Melgren refuses, calling the mission nonnegotiably military. Despite Tairn insisting “We won’t go” and Andarna countering “We have to go,” Violet concedes the need to proceed if other demands are considered, leveraging the dragons’ willingness to leave as pressure.

The Duke of Calldyr pronounces the matter settled contingent on consideration of Andarna’s remaining requests. Discussion briefly turns to allowing fliers into the Riders Quadrant; Melgren doubts their safety without signets, but the nobles say their performance would aid negotiations with Poromiel. Melgren dismisses Violet, and Lewellen privately accepts Andarna’s list to work on and hands Violet a secret missive.

Outside, Violet opens the note and finds Tecarus’s ultimatum: she has three days to fulfill their bargain. She tells her gathered squad, including Imogen, Rhiannon, and Xaden, that her plan fell apart, and the fallback plan in her hand must now succeed.

The next morning, after a rare full night’s sleep, Violet wakes beside a sleeping Xaden and reflects on his recent strain. They become intimate, but as Violet climaxes, light flashes and the scent of burned wood fills the room. Xaden braces against the headboard in apparent pain, shuts down their mental bond, and demands space, believing he is no longer “natural.” When Violet approaches, he points to faint discolorations on the headboard where his thumbs were, implying he may have channeled unintentionally. Violet realizes the danger and the stakes of his changing condition.