Iron Flame Chapters 52–54 Summary & Analysis

Summary: Chapters 52–54

Chapter 52

Rhiannon’s sister Raegan, who has journeyed with the rest of Rhiannon’s family to Aretia, welcomes all eighteen members of Violet’s squad (and Jesinia) into her home so that the group can attempt to alleviate tensions away from the pressures of academics. Violet notes that these visits have not healed the rift between the riders and the fliers in her squad, but that it is a step in the right direction. Violet tells the group that she thinks that she knows how to raise the wards but, in doing so, it will take away the fliers’ ability to wield. The fliers have a choice: stay in Aretia without their signets or risk returning to Cordryn, where they will be able to wield but will be more exposed to venin and wyvern. Violet adds that the fliers who choose to stay will not be completely powerless, as they will be provided with Maorsite—a powerful explosive that was created by imbuing an ore. That night, Violet suffers from another nightmare about the venin Sage but this time the Sage tells Violet that she will turn to their side for love. Violet wakes with a start and lets the calming sound of Xaden’s heartbeat lull her back to sleep.

A few days later, the cadets are brought to a valley and told they will be divided into teams of four according to their signets. They will be competing against each other to locate summoning runes that have been planted on a twenty-mile radius along the western range. This exercise is also supposed to test their dragons, who will be patrolling nearby and trying to sense the runes as well. The winning team will get a weekend pass, free of training and homework. Andarna insists that she participate in the exercise and Tairn reluctantly agrees. Right before they leave, Xaden and other soldiers return from a mission and Xaden surprises Violet by pulling her into his arms in front of all of Fourth Wing. Violet tells Xaden she needs to talk to him when she returns and he guesses she figured out how to raise the wards. He wants to do it now, but Violet says they will need Tairn, and that they can do it when she returns.

Chapter 53

Forty minutes later, Violet, Sloane, Visia, Cat, Andarna, and Kiralair (Cat’s gryphon) are hiking down a steep and snowy path towards a cave to look for runes. Tensions rise and Cat picks a fight with Sloane; Violet tells her to leave Sloane alone and come for her instead because she promised Liam she would look out for Sloane. Sloane tells Violet that she is sorry Liam burdened her with Sloane’s life when she already bears the burden of being tied to Xaden’s life. The team enters the cave, and Cat and Violet come to a hesitant and temporary truce as Violet acknowledges that they have been paired together because Violet has the most powerful signet and Cat is the best with runes.

The group detects an energy signature in the cave. As they search for it, Visia makes conversation by asking if Violet will get a second signet to go with her second dragon. Sloane explains that second signets only manifest when a dragon bonds a rider in the direct familial line as its previous rider—that these descendants either develop a second signet or go mad. Violet freezes, suddenly realizing that Xaden may well have a second signet, seeing as Sgaeyl was bonded to his grandfather. Before she can follow this train of thought, Sloane locates the rune. Cat starts to counter it, but a dragon suddenly enters the cave and attacks. He uses his claw to slam Visia into the cave wall, killing her instantly. Violet realizes that the dragon is Solas, the dragon who was bonded to Varrish, and calls out to Tairn for help.

Chapter 54

Andarna rushes into the cave and shields Violet, Sloane, and Cat with her wings just before Solas’s fire can reach them. Violet then throws one of her daggers at Solas’s one good eye, blinding him so the others can escape. Solas knocks Violet over and breaks the conduit into four pieces. Cat returns and shoots arrows at Solas, distracting him while Violet shoves the remains of the conduit into the soft joint between Solas’s scales. Andarna sinks her teeth into Solas’s neck, and Violet directs her lightning into the conduit’s shards. However, Violet is knocked aside and dragged to safety by Sloane, cutting off her lighting. Sloane panics when she realizes that she drained Violet, afraid that she is turning venin, but Violet quickly reassures her that her signet simply manifested; she is a siphon, someone who can absorb and redistribute energy. Violet hears a dragon scream from within the cave and realizes that Andarna has killed Solas.

Later, Xaden bursts into their room, angry at Violet for risking her life to save Cat’s. Violet explains that she saved Cat because Cat is in the line of succession to the Poromiel throne, and that Xaden could be killed if she is harmed on his watch. Xaden says he doesn’t care, that he only cares that Violet is safe. He is trying to respect her freedom while still protecting her, but says Violet is making it incredibly difficult for him to do so, given the fact that she keeps making reckless decisions. In a burst of rage, Violet alludes to the deal that Xaden made with Violet’s mother to keep her safe, and Xaden asks if she is finally ready to talk about it.

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