Onyx Storm Chapters 50–53 Summary & Analysis

Summary: Chapters 50–53

Chapter 50

That night, Violet has her recurring nightmare about the venin Sage—only this time, she thinks about channeling from the earth to defeat him. She looks down at her hands and realizes that one hand has a relic like Xaden’s. Violet wakes next to Xaden in their bed, and sees that Xaden is in the midst of his own nightmare. He, too, wakes with a start, and asks Violet what her nightmare was about. Violet begins to describe her dream, and Xaden realizes Violet is describing his own nightmare. The two realize that she has been infiltrating his dreams this entire time.

Xaden guesses that Violet is a type of inntinsic called a dream-walker. He says her inntinsic abilities are even more powerful than his; Xaden can only read people’s intentions when they are awake, and therefore able to shield against him. Violet, on the other hand, can enter people’s dreams while they are in a defenseless state. He warns her that her new ability poses a great threat, and people will try to kill her if they find out about it. Violet is confused, as signets are supposed to manifest as something that a rider needs most, and Violet has never needed to enter someone’s dreams. However, she soon realizes she spent months wishing she could talk to Andarna while she was maturing in the Dreamless Sleep. It is impossible to use a signet on a dragon, so magic gave her the ability to enter people’s dreams instead. Violet starts to say that she has only ever entered Xaden’s dreams when she suddenly remembers the dream she had about saving a family portrait from a fire when she was in Samara. Violet and Xaden rush to Maren’s room and confirm that Violet entered into Maren’s nightmare that night. Their discovery is interrupted when Tairn alerts Violet of incoming venin; Aretia is under attack.

Chapter 51

Violet and Xaden race to arm themselves and head off to fight. All soldiers will join them, as well as any willing second- and third-years. First years are prohibited from entering the fray and will be guarded by Bodhi. Bodhi is angry that Xaden is clearly trying to protect the Tyrrendor lineage by keeping him out of harm’s way, but agrees. Brennan is reluctant to let cadets, especially Violet, fight, but Xaden agrees it’s the best call. Violet and Xaden embrace. He tells Violet to stay safe, and she subtly tells him not to channel before they separate. Before she leaves, Aaric emerges and tells Violet to protect Dunne’s temple because that is how she will save Tyrrendor. This cryptic message leaves Violet extremely confused.

Green-fire wyvern are on their way, traveling in waves of small groups. Violet and Tairn fly past the wards, and Violet orders Andarna to stay with the wardstone. Violet and Tairn pull off an impressive maneuver and manage to break a wyvern’s neck, and Violet uses her signet to set the lead pair of wyvern on fire. Violet realizes the next advancing pair of wyvern carries a rider with silver hair when suddenly Tairn roars in pain.

Chapter 52

The dead wyvern’s wingspur broke off in Tairn’s leg, but Rhiannon uses her summoning signet to remove it. Violet and Tairn find Andarna trying to protect Dunne’s temple because she overheard Aaric telling Violet to do so. Violet and Tairn repeatedly tell Andarna to get to safety; she is angry that they are treating her like a child. Violet starts to wonder if the venin are heading for the hatching ground when Theophanie emerges. The priestess of Dunne’s temple knowingly calls Theophanie a “heretic,” and Violet realizes she used to be a high priestess of Dunne before she turned venin and left the temple. Theophanie and two other venin begin to advance towards them, but they suddenly rear back in fear and disappear, likely because one of them is a distance walker like Garrick. Wyvern start to fall from the sky, landing next to and on Dunne’s temple. Violet and the attendants are almost crushed, but Xaden appears and uses his shadows to slow the collapse. Violet is happy to see his eyes are not red—he fought the entire battle without channeling. He tells her the wards are up and Violet is baffled—they would have needed an irid other than Andarna—until the dragon Leothan appears, informing Violet that he fired Aretia’s wardstone.

Chapter 53

Leothan tells Andarna they are from the same den, and that he powered the wards to keep Violet safe. That way, Andarna would be willing to go back with him to learn the irid ways. Andarna says she cannot leave Violet, but Leothan explains that irid magic is different, and that they have the ability to create or break bonds as they see fit. Andarna is torn; she wants to stay with Violet, but she also wants to learn about her kind. Violet is heartbroken but tells Andarna she loves her and wants her to feel complete—even if that means Andarna has to leave her. Andarna eventually agrees and departs. Violet collapses in grief, causing Xaden, Rhiannon, Tairn, and Sgaeyl to rush towards her, and Violet tells them that Andarna is gone.

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