Clinging to the tower’s edge amid fire and darkness, Violet braces for death until Jack Barlowe appears and hauls her over the parapet. Jack explains he responded to the dormitory alarms and won’t let a rider die to infantry, framing his rescue as evening a past debt after his own near-death. He leaves without further conflict.

Violet recovers her daggers and steadies herself beside Eya’s body, acknowledging that the assassins succeeded and fearing that Aetos will continue targeting those who fought at Resson. Tairn’s pass overhead brings belated relief but underlines how close she came to falling.

Ridoc arrives, checks Violet for injuries, and learns Eya is dead. Violet, shaken, admits Jack saved her life, an unsettling turn given their history. She asks Ridoc to stay while the adrenaline fades and confronts the growing realization that their enemies are escalating.

Ridoc then shares Jesinia’s breakthrough: she knows the vault’s location and the warding, but access requires someone of King Tauri’s bloodline because the cache lies within the royal vault. Violet quickly decides they can exploit their link to a prince who hates his father, setting their next course.