Iron Flame Chapters 9–12 Summary & Analysis

Summary: Chapters 9–12

Chapter 9

Violet rises early and decides to start running in the mornings, because she knows that she could not outrun a venin attack and will need to become faster, and Imogen volunteers to run with her. Later, Violet attends Battle Brief and learns of two gryphon attacks on their borders. One took place by a mountain village and the other at Athebyne, where Violet and the others were sent to die during War Games and where Xaden and his team of marked ones distribute alloy daggers to the gryphon fliers to bolster their defense against the venin and wyvern. Violet is angry that Colonel Markham is lying to students about venin and wonders what information she can trust. Rhiannon is also feeling suspicious (although she does not know about venin) because she saw guarded rooms in the infirmary, and wonders what’s being kept from them.

After class, Violet asks Imogen and Bodhi if she can help with the resistance but they say no. Everyone heads to Assessment Day, where challenges are set to take place. Sloane attempts to challenge Violet, but the higher-ups do not let her. A first-year boy then enters and asks for Violet. Violet’s squadmate Nadine, amused by Violet’s apparent popularity, jokingly says that she is Violet, and the boy snaps Nadine’s neck.

Chapter 10

Violet fights the first-year and is injured but manages to kill him. Before he dies, he says, “Secrets die with the people who keep them”—the same words Colonel Aetos said to Violet and Xaden, confirming that this was an assassination attempt, and not one meant to punish her mother, as Professor Emetterio says. Violet goes to her room, and Xaden is there, having heard what happened. He’s furious, feeling protective over Violet. He takes care of her and flirts with her, and Violet is tempted but does not give in.

Xaden explains that he warded her door when he was last here; the only way to enter her room is by touching Violet, ensuring only she and those she wants to enter are able to do so. She tells him she doesn’t want to learn the names of the newest cadets, fearing they’ll die and their deaths will cause her pain, which Xaden says means Violet is still her. The ultimate goal of Basgiath is to remove their humanity, to make them weapons. Before Xaden leaves, he gives her a letter in which he tells Violet all about himself and says he will see her in seven days. Violet is pleased that Xaden is making an effort.

Chapter 11

Violet encounters Jesinia during her run with Imogen, and she asks Violet to help her with a translation assignment. While they are working, they see a student getting dragged away, and Jesinia worries that this is her fault because she recorded what text he requested at the Archives yesterday. This causes Violet to worry about her own secret research. Later, Violet and her friends go to flight training, and Violet feels guilty that she cannot tell her friends what happened at Resson. Before the lesson begins, Varrish arrives and demands that Violet bring Andarna to the next lesson, which concerns Violet; Andarna, still a young dragon, needs to develop in the Dreamless Sleep away from humans. However, she cannot explain this to Varrish because nobody can know that Andarna is not actually fully grown, as the Empyrean (Navarre’s governing body of dragons) is very protective over young dragons.

Later, Xaden’s cousin Bodhi walks Violet to Tairn so that she can leave to see Xaden. He tries to get Violet to forgive Xaden, claiming that he has never seen him care for anybody the way he cares for Violet—even someone named Catriona. Violet barely has time to process the sting of jealousy that Bodhi’s comment inspires when they are interrupted by Varrish. He searches Violet’s bag and tells her that she will be punished when she returns for not bringing Andarna to flight lessons. Before she leaves, Bodhi reveals that he and the other marked students from Resson were attacked this week by other cadets. He also says that Xaden guessed that Varrish would search Violet’s bag and used this night as a test. Violet is angry that she was left in the dark once again.

Chapter 12

Violet and Tairn arrive where Xaden is stationed at the front, only to discover him fighting another soldier for a weekend pass so that he can spend time with Violet. Violet is attracted to Xaden while he fights, and she caves and asks him to kiss her. The kiss turns passionate, and Violet wants to have sex even though she is not ready to be in a relationship with him yet, but Xaden refuses; he wants Violet to admit she still loves him first. He says that he knows he handled last year poorly and is determined to “do things differently” this time around.

Later, he explains to Violet that the venin-killing daggers are made from the same material that powers the wards. The medallions on the dagger hold extra power, and large quantities of them can boost and extend the wards, which is why hordes of them are placed at strategic outposts. He also explains that the daggers can only hold so much power and that they eventually have to be imbued again—a difficult process in which a rider pours their power into an object. He continues on to say that Aretia is in trouble. They need a luminary to make more daggers so that they do not have to rely on stolen daggers from Basgiath. The conversation then shifts when Xaden suggests they practice keeping Violet’s mental shields up in case someone like Dain tries to penetrate her mind.

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