Violet and Tairn chase Theophanie as she slows a tornado to draw them into an ambush near the mountains. Without her conduit after it shatters under hail, Violet struggles to land precise lightning strikes while Theophanie kills the storm to reduce Violet's power. A pained roar from Sgaeyl hits the bond, and moments later a massive weighted net drops over Tairn, forcing him to tuck his wings as they crash and slide through the forest, leaving Violet with a broken arm.

On the ground, Tairn breathes fire and tears at the net while Theophanie descends with calm confidence, her wyvern waiting in the nearby field. Violet uses a softening rune to weaken the ropes and runed daggers to shred the net, climbing free despite the pain. Theophanie taunts them and approaches, and Tairn senses that Sgaeyl has been netted as well. To stall, Violet baits Theophanie by invoking Unnbriel and her past as a high priestess; Theophanie sneers that it is better to be a god than serve one, revealing she turned from Dunne.

As Draithus falls into darkness and wyvern screams echo, a vast tide of shadow surges from the city—an onyx storm that is far beyond Xaden's usual power. The wave of shadow knocks Theophanie down and engulfs the clearing. Tairn urges Violet to strike through the darkness, but exhaustion and nearing burnout threaten to overwhelm her until she recalls Aaric's note: "Strike in the dark." Violet realizes Aaric is a true precog and that the marble dagger from Dunne's temple was meant for this moment.

Violet channels a continuous lightning strike to illuminate the darkness and reveals Theophanie. When Theophanie dashes sideways, she collides with an unseen presence that snarls; scales shimmer in the lightning, and Andarna appears as a small dragon advancing on Theophanie. As Theophanie reaches toward Andarna, calling her "Irid," Violet sprints through the pain and drives the marble dagger—made from temple stone—into Theophanie's heart.

Theophanie initially laughs off the attack, claiming stone cannot kill venin, but then sees the blood and collapses. Violet states that Theophanie was never just venin and that Dunne is wrathful toward high priestesses who turn away. Theophanie desiccates instantly, dead. Violet releases the lightning and falls into darkness and silence as Andarna whispers her name.