Iron Flame Chapters 44–48 Summary & Analysis

Summary: Chapters 44–48

Chapter 44

Violet is unable to hold onto Luella, and she falls to her death. Cibbelair, Luella’s gryphon, starts to die as well, since gryphons die with their riders. Cat accuses Violet of choosing to save a rider over a flier, essentially prioritizing one life over the other, and Violet sends Brennan to mend Ridoc. Dain pops Violet’s shoulder back into place, as it was dislocated while she was trying to hold onto Luella and Visia. Suddenly, a wyvern appears from the fog, snatches Cibbelair, and flies away. Violet jumps onto Tairn’s back so that they can distract the group of wyvern while everyone else gets to safety. Violet manages to force her lightning downward into the clouds below, electrocuting the four wyvern. Violet and Tairn were successful, but Violet and the riders worry that the venin will know where they are; they do, after all, share a consciousness with their wyvern.

Chapter 45

Devera reads the death roll of the riders and fliers who have been working to divert the venin from Aretia. Violet is grateful that Mira’s name is not on the list. Tensions continue to grow between the fliers and Violet’s squad; many blame her for Luella’s death. Cat, specifically, is targeting her—even going so far as to knock on Xaden’s door in revealing clothing, though it’s Violet who answers.

Later, Trissa (one of the Assembly members) says that she will be teaching a new class and has selected the second-years in Violet’s squad to test the course. When Violet and her friends arrive, she is irritated to see that Trissa has also invited the second-years in Cat’s drift to participate as well. Trissa is going to teach the riders and fliers about runes, strands of magic pulled from an individual’s power that are woven into geometric patterns for specific uses. The runes can then be attached to an object through a process called “tempering.” Once a person masters this skill, they can activate the tempered object at will and perform whatever task the runes indicate until the power runs out. The riders and fliers practice weaving an unlocking rune and Violet is ultimately successful, but she is irritated that Cat manages it first.

Chapter 46

Violet and Xaden discuss runes, and Violet learns that he put an unlocking rune on her dagger—this explains why she was able to open the door during the RSC interrogation exam. She then asks Xaden about the runestone near his bed, and Xaden says that 107 were made and given to the children of the officers from the Tyrrish rebellion, who were instructed by their parents to keep them on their person at all times. The runes had the ability to counter the signet of the dragon who executed the parents, and were only activated once the execution took place. Since Codahg gives Melgren, their executioner, the ability to track the outcome of battles, the 107 children were protected from his signet. This explains the existence of the relics, and why Melgren cannot track groups of marked ones.

Later, Professor Devera and Professor Emetterio usher the riders and fliers into the sparring gym and tell them that they can work out their aggression by challenging each other. However, they are not allowed to use their signets. Unsurprisingly, Cat challenges Violet, and Violet quickly realizes that Cat is able to anticipate her every move because Xaden trained both of them.

Chapter 47

Cat taunts Violet while they fight, getting under her skin by asking if it bothers her that she had Xaden first. She also tells Violet that Xaden is not capable of love, and merely sees Violet as a “convenient placeholder” for him to have sex with in her absence. She then explains that she is especially resentful because she and Xaden were arranged to be married before he broke it off, and she wants Xaden’s title—Xaden is the rightful duke of Tyrrendor.

Violet is incensed and feels increasingly angry, jealous, and inferior until she realizes that Cat is breaking the rules and using her signet on her. Violet nearly chokes Cat to death when Xaden arrives and pulls Violet off of her. Imogen tells the professors that Cat cheated; Violet finds herself unable to calm down. She loses control and lets out a bolt of lightning, frightening the other cadets. Xaden then takes Violet out of the gym and brings her to the Assembly room, demands that everyone leave so that they can talk, and seats Violet on his throne.

Chapter 48

Violet tells Xaden what Cat said to her. Xaden promises they will talk about it later but that he knows that there is nothing he could say right now to erase Cat’s words. Instead, he tells Violet that he will always choose her and performs oral sex on her while using their bond to tell Violet how much he loves and desires her. Afterwards, Violet expects that the two of them will have sex but Xaden refuses, claiming that he is proving a point by worshipping Violet without expecting anything in return. He does this to dismiss Cat’s claim that Xaden is only with Violet because he likes having sex with her. Violet learns that Xaden and Cat were betrothed for a year but that Xaden eventually broke it off because they were not compatible.

Xaden explains the nature of Cat’s signet; she cannot create emotions, only amplify what is already there, so Violet must have already been feeling inferior to and jealous of Cat. Violet admits this is true—she thinks that Cat is a better match for Xaden, something he emphatically denies, telling Violet that she is the only woman that he has ever loved. Violet admits to Xaden that she has felt out of control recently, and he assures her that she will be able to find her center again. Finally, he tells her that one of the daggers he gave her is runed to protect her against Cat’s signet, and that she should simply keep it on her at all times until she learns to block Cat out. Violet leaves for class and Xaden flirts with her, asking her to come to bed early tonight so they can finish what they started.

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