Before dawn, Violet dresses for duty, meets Dain in the hall, and banters about curfew after Rhiannon slips from Tara’s room. With challenges starting, Dain urges caution and avoidance of Jack. Violet, determined to survive, uses breakfast duty to sprinkle powdered fonilee berries onto Oren Seifert’s eggs, planning for nausea to peak during their match.

In Professor Kaori’s class, illusions demonstrate dragon temperaments. Kaori reports only a hundred dragons willing to bond—far fewer than prior years—and acknowledges increased ward breaches. He warns about Sgaeyl and introduces an unbonded black morningstartail. When asked, Kaori explains Naolin’s siphoning signet and confirms to Violet that Naolin died trying to save Brennan, urging Violet to remember that not all strength is physical.

At challenges, Rhiannon wins decisively. Dain warns Violet that Oren intends to kill her. Jack taunts Violet, who answers by throwing daggers into the wall near his head and groin, rattling him; Xaden notices. On the mat, Oren’s poisoning peaks. Violet avoids his sluggish attacks, cuts him, and pins him until he vomits and yields. She claims his dagger.

Over subsequent weeks, Violet times different toxins—leighorrel mushrooms, zihna root, tarsilla leaves, and carmine bark—to disorient opponents. She endures bruises, a split lip, and a dislocated thumb but refuses to appear weak, collecting more daggers and avoiding fatalities as the death roll rises.

By early September, Violet arrives confident. Scheduled opponent Rayma Corrie can’t walk straight—her timing was off with walwyn peel. As Professor Emetterio moves to cancel, Xaden volunteers to step in, abruptly raising the stakes as Violet must face him.