Iron Flame Chapters 18–20 Summary & Analysis

Summary: Chapters 18–20

Chapter 18

Xaden bursts into Violet’s room while she is going through her various history texts. Suspicious, he asks why she is researching the First Six—the first group to successfully become dragon riders about 600 years ago, who also created Navarre’s wards. Xaden is worried when he learns that Violet is researching classified documents so that she can fix Aretia’s wards, and he requests that Violet bring him to Jesinia so he can determine if she is trustworthy. Violet reluctantly agrees.

On their way, they run into the mender Nolon, who looks haggard and exhausted. Violet and Xaden reach Jesinia, who returns Violet’s copy of The Fables of the Barren (a text about figures from Navarrian folklore, including venin) and pointedly remarks it is curious that there is no copy of it in the Archives. After leaving Jesinia, Violet and Xaden argue about the nature of trust. Violet feels that trust has to go both ways to “mean anything,” and Xaden feels that Violet is rejecting his attempts to open up to her. He is also angry that Violet thinks he does not trust her. Xadem leaves before he can say something to make the situation worse and does not spend the night in Violet’s room.

Chapter 19

Violet worries that Varrish is going to target her again because she has still not shown him Andarna. During a wielding lesson, Violet manages several lighting strikes before Carr tells her to stop, but she is still only able to produce lightning—she cannot aim. Violet’s suspicions are correct, and Varrish charges Violet with a dereliction of duty for not bringing along Andarna. Tairn is furious and attacks Solas, Varrish’s dragon, until Varrish revokes Violet’s punishment and admits, on his knees, that it is not a human’s place to summon a dragon.

Later, Rhiannon accuses Violet of avoiding her and the rest of their squad since Resson, claiming that Liam was her friend, too. Violet grows angry and says that Rhiannon and the others cannot possibly understand what she went through because they have never seen real combat and do not know what exists beyond Basgiath. Violet continues on to say that the Navarre army wants students to see their friends die so they are prepared when real wars begin. She compares the students to weapons and says that the brutality of Basgiath is the stone that the army uses to sharpen them. Rhiannon is struck by Violet’s outburst and apologizes, but they are interrupted by Varrish, who searches her bags again. After he leaves, Rhiannon asks why he searched her bags and Violet manages to avoid telling the truth. She then apologizes for yelling, and Rhiannon says that she would rather Violet get angry than pretend that everything is okay.

Read an in-depth explanation of Violet’s argument with Rhiannon.

Chapter 20

Violet and Tairn fly to see Xaden and Sgaeyl at his post in Samara. On the way, they argue about whether Violet’s body can handle a running landing, something that second-years are expected to master. Violet spots Xaden coming towards her and he uses their bond to communicate that she needs to kiss him right now, even if it’s just for show, or she will not be staying in his room tonight. Violet does so and loses herself in the kiss until they are interrupted by Violet’s sister Mira—which explains why Xaden told Violet to kiss him. Now, Mira will not insist that her sister stay with her, not after such a display.

Mira tells Violet that she has been re-stationed at Samara. She also warns Violet not to trust Xaden, and observes that Violet is in love with him. Eager to supplement her and Jesinia’s research, Violet starts to question Mira about the wards. Mira explains that the wards are woven into the ground and she compares them to the spokes of an umbrella. The wardstone at Basgiath is like the center of an umbrella, and the wards act as the dome. She continues on to say that, just like an umbrella, the wards are strongest at the center, and grow weaker as they extend. Violet then asks Mira if she believes the reports about the Poromish borders, and when Mira says that she does, Violet suggests it’s possible wyvern could actually be damaging the cities. Mira brushes off Violet’s question and says she reads too many fairytales, and Violet, disappointed, agrees that she needs to get more sleep, dropping the issue.

That night, Xaden tells Violet that some Poromish civilians were killed for trying to cross the Navarre border, and he tells her that this type of warfare does not get reported during Battle Brief. Violet apologizes for not telling Xaden about her research with Jesinia and implies that she only did so because she wanted to be the one keeping a secret from Xaden for a change. Xaden says that it’s okay for Violet to have secrets as long as she is careful. He then promises to disclose all information that could influence Violet’s decision-making going forward, and asks that she do the same in return.

They briefly talk about what the venin-killing alloy is made from (an amalgamation of Talladium, a few other ores, and dragon eggshells), and Violet admits that she’s been having a hard time sleeping since Resson. Xaden tries to comfort her and playfully tries to bait her into saying she loves him, but Violet stops herself. When she sleepily tells him not to remind her that she still loves him, Xaden softly replies that maybe he needs to remind himself. Simply being next to Xaden comforts Violet and she manages to fall into a half-sleep.

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