Iron Flame
by Rebecca Yarros
Contents
Chapter Fifty-Seven
Overview
At Athebyne, Melgren predicts Samara will fall on solstice and offers to recognize Aretia’s independence for their aid. Ulices refuses, and Brennan rejects peace, effectively accepting war. In private, General Sorrengail warns Aretia’s wards will fail and gives a Morainian journal. Violet and Mira discover rune-stones that reanimate wyvern, proving the wards’ flaw and that Warrick concealed critical truths.
Summary
Violet arrives at Athebyne uneasy after a sleepless night of research. Before the meeting, she confronts Xaden about using his inntinnsic; he admits he once read her intentions but stopped when she became more than a target. Their bond reconnects briefly, easing tension without resolving the breach of trust.
Melgren and General Sorrengail arrive with Navarrian riders and dragons. Melgren rages over past losses, then reveals a vision: Samara will be overrun on solstice unless the Aretian riot fights beside Navarre. He offers to respect Aretia’s independence. Xaden reads fear and sincerity in one officer, then shuts everyone out. Ulices refuses, and General Sorrengail warns dragonkind will not ignore threats to the Vale’s hatching grounds.
Brennan arrives, declares the Aretian committee will not defend a kingdom that sacrifices others, and rejects peace, effectively accepting war. After Melgren departs, General Sorrengail privately tells Mira and Violet that Aretia’s wards will decline and urges them to examine wyvern corpses, then hands Violet a Morainian notebook, implying Warrick withheld truths.
On the way home, Violet and Mira dissect wyvern within Aretia’s border and find a polished onyx stone inscribed with a complex rune that hums—and triggers a nearby carcass to reanimate. Violet channels Tairn’s lightning and kills it instantly. The discovery confirms the wards’ flaw and that rune-stones are reanimating wyvern, pushing Violet to uncover Warrick’s lie and repair the wards.
Who Appears
- Violet SorrengailNavigator of the meeting; confronts Xaden, receives her mother’s warning and journal, discovers rune-stone and kills a reanimating wyvern with lightning.
- Xaden RiorsonAdmits past misuse of inntinnsic, reads opponents’ intentions, refuses alliance with Navarre, maintains distance while backing Violet’s choices.
- General Lilah SorrengailAttends with Melgren, privately warns Aretia’s wards will fail, gives a Morainian journal, urges her children to survive.
- Augustine MelgrenSeer-general who predicts Samara’s fall on solstice, offers alliance recognizing Aretia, departs when refused.
- Mira SorrengailStands with Violet, challenges leadership, dissects wyvern to reveal a humming rune-stone, prepares to fight reanimation.
- Brennan SorrengailArrives to speak for the Aretian quorum, rejects peace, effectively accepts war, shocking their mother.
- UlicesAretian leader who rebuffs Melgren’s alliance offer, keeping the riot independent from Navarre.
- TairnViolet’s dragon; shields her, offers blunt counsel, provides lightning that destroys the reanimating wyvern.
- SgaeylXaden’s dragon; present at the standoff, positioned apart from Tairn amid rider tensions.
- CodaghMelgren’s massive black dragon; menaces the field and escorts his rider’s withdrawal.
- AimsirGeneral Sorrengail’s dragon; accompanies her to Athebyne during the tense parley.