Chapter fifty-two opens with Rhiannon offering warm drinks and company at a squad gathering hosted by Raegan, with members of Second Squad socializing together. This is part of the efforts to ease tension between riders and fliers.
Despite progress and routine, the protagonist, the narrator, harbors concern over the threat of wyvern attacks and how quickly their position can be jeopardized.
The protagonist acknowledges Rhiannon's strategy to unify the riders and fliers through these gatherings and pairing up members as study partners.
Skepticism remains about the current truce between groups, as the protagonist discusses the possibility of dangerous individuals testing wyverns in offensive maneuvers.
Conversation turns to language skills when the protagonist asks Aaric about speaking Old Lucerish, an ancient language relevant to their shared mentor, Markham.
Aaric denies knowing Old Lucerish and redirects the question, reminding the protagonist to be cautious about revealing too much to the others.
There is playful banter amongst the squad members about getting to know each other better, particularly the younger cadets.
Rhiannon eventually calls for attention to address a serious matter regarding the discovery in Warrick’s journal about the wards meant to protect Aretia from wyvern attacks.
In revealing the method to activate the wards, the protagonist discloses that it would inhibit the fliers from wielding magic, causing shock and concern among them.
The potential activation of these wards sparks a debate about loyalty, power, safety, and the difficult choices that lie ahead for the fliers. This debate reveals underlying tensions between the riders and fliers.
The protagonist promises to seek a delay in activating the wards, offering the fliers a chance to consider whether they want to stay or seek refuge elsewhere where their powers will remain intact.
To support the fliers in the case the wards are raised, alternative weapons—conduits with enchanted arrowheads made of explosive Maorsite—are presented.
The scene transitions to the protagonist's nightmare involving the Sage, a recurring tormentor, who coerces her to use her dark powers and suggests that love might be a motivator for her actions.
Upon awakening, the protagonist finds comfort in the presence of Xaden, her partner, and the reassuring routine of sharing the bed with him.
The chapter concludes with a training mission for the squad—to find summoning runes hidden within a twenty-mile radius—which turns competitive with the promise of a weekend pass as the prize.
Rhiannon and Bragen coordinate the squad, dividing them according to abilities, preparing for the upcoming scouting mission.
Xaden returns from a mission, and there's a moment of personal connection between him and the protagonist before she must return to her duties with the squad.
A hint of deeper revelations and strategies at play is left hanging as the narrator joins her team for the training exercise, parting ways with Xaden until after the mission.