Violet visits the Archives and finds Jesinia with Aoife. After Aoife steps away, Jesinia shares that Jacek had repeatedly requested a record of a border attack that doesn’t exist and is stunned to learn he was killed. Violet presses about an earlier unrecorded request; Jesinia admits she didn’t log it and has discovered no entries on wyvern or similar folklore, implying the Archives are incomplete—perhaps intentionally. They agree on a covert, Saturday-only exchange: Jesinia will supply one old tome at a time, and Violet will keep it hidden, with Jesinia asking for something in return.

At Monday challenges, the squad watches Aaric win decisively while Ridoc and Sawyer speculate about Nolon’s secret back room. Sloane faces Dasha; Violet, fearing Sloane’s death, doses Dasha by combining a prior lillybelle-laced pastry with an on-mat ardyce powder cough, briefly disorienting Dasha. Sloane recovers and forces a tap-out, and Emetterio calls the match.

Afterward, Violet tells Sloane she intervened and insists Sloane train with Imogen. Sloane resents Violet and blames her for Liam’s death, but Imogen defends Violet. Violet leverages fifty of Liam’s letters, promising one each week Sloane shows up and participates. Reluctantly, Sloane agrees to begin training the next morning.

Jesinia later delivers a classified, three-hundred-year-old text, The Unabridged History of the First Six, and Violet trades her copy of The Fables of the Barren. The history proves vague on enemies and allies, so on Saturday Jesinia provides The Sacrifice of Dragonkind, which connects Basgiath’s ward site to green dragons—especially the Cruaidhuaine line—known for stable magical connection.

When Violet departs for Samara, Varrish arrives with two subordinates, blocked from entering by Xaden’s room wards. He searches her pack, escorts her to Tairn, and pointedly notes recent attacks and her squad’s skipped maneuvers. Tairn confirms Andarna remains in Dreamless Sleep. On arrival at Samara, Violet learns Xaden is on 24-hour operations duty and she lacks clearance to see him.