Onyx Storm Chapters 14–17 Summary & Analysis

Summary: Chapters 14–17

Chapter 14

Violet asks Dain to get her father’s research; it is hidden in his father’s new office, which is warded by bloodline. Dain starts to answer when they are interrupted by the arrival of Professor Kaori and Xaden. When Professor Kaori leaves, Violet tells Xaden they can’t be romantically or sexually involved because of the Codex. She is willing to temporarily put an end to their relationship if it means that Xaden will be safe—as a professor, he’s allowed to remain safe behind the wards at Basgiath, where he’s unable to channel—but Xaden is adamant that they can be together anyway. Xaden will seek an exemption, as they were a couple before he was hired, but Aetos arrives and denies it. Defeated, Violet leaves, and Dain agrees to break into his father’s office for her.

Violet and Xaden are unable to sneak around; Aetos has clearly ordered various riders to tail the two of them. Violet is summoned to a meeting about the irid scouting mission. Xaden was distinctly not invited; however, he arrives anyway, arguing that he needs to be on the team because Tairn and Sgaeyl are mates. Grady reluctantly agrees and puts forth the following team: Grady, Violet, Xaden, Captain Henson (an air-wielder), Lieutenant Pugh (has far sight), Lieutenant Foley (an agrarian), Cadet Aura Beinhaven (a fire wielder), and Captain Anna Winshire (infantry liaison). They are also hoping to get Mira, because she is able to extend wards. During the meeting, Violet and Xaden use their bond to flirt and to commiserate over the state of the team—Violet does not trust any of its members besides Xaden and Mira, and no fliers or people who deserted to Aretia were included. Violet’s instinct is to head south because her research indicates that people from the southern isles are connected to feathertails, but Grady orders them northward. Violet hopes to have more information after she and Dain steal her father’s research—he was researching a similar topic six months before he died, and was uncharacteristically secretive about it.

Chapter 15

Violet’s squad and Caroline Ashton’s First Wing squad attend their first Signet Sparring class with Xaden. In between using their bond to flirt with Violet, Xaden explains that the point of his class is to teach cadets how to fight with their signets so they will be prepared to face the venin army. He says that unlike Basgiath’s usual sparring prep, which is done in secret in order to surprise their opponents, this class is all about learning from one another, and from him, so they all have the best possible chance at survival. He fights each student one by one and uses his shadow signet to disarm and beat them without lifting a weapon, and he says this class will teach them to do the same. Violet is the last to go, and everyone eagerly watches as she approaches the mat, knowing full well that Violet and Xaden are the most powerful riders here.

Chapter 16

Violet and Xaden spar, and Xaden uses his shadows to engulf them both in darkness. They use this brief moment of privacy to kiss passionately, and then Xaden tells Violet she needs to learn how to sense him through the shadows in case she ever has to kill him.

Later, Violet and her squad go to a pub to unwind. Maren and the other fliers in their squad arrive, and Maren thanks Rhiannon because her parents took in Maren’s brothers. Dain interrupts and asks Violet if they can speak privately. He tells her that she’s going to have to trust him enough to tell him where her father’s research is, because he will not be able to sneak anybody else into his father’s office; it will have to be him alone. Violet hesitates for a moment, but eventually tells him how to open the secret compartment in her father’s old desk. Dain promises that he will get her the information by Monday morning.

Chapter 17

Violet and the other cadets listen to the death roll of people who have fallen in battle. Sloane pulls Violet aside, and Violet tells her not to blame herself for her role in Violet’s mother’s death—Sloane used her siphoning signet to drain Lilith Sorrengail’s power to fire the Basgiath wardstone at the end of Iron Flame. Sloane delivers texts from Jesinia and the research that Dain stole. However, Violet realizes that it is password protected, and the only clue is “first love is irreplaceable.”

Xaden teaches another sparring class; Violet and Xaden flirt through their bond, and Violet and her friends manage to team up to best Garrick, who is visiting and helping with the lesson. Prince Halden enters the classroom, much to Violet’s outrage. Halden and Violet speak for a moment, and she insults him for cheating on her when they were younger. Halden is arrogant and entitled and does not take Violet’s anger seriously. She also learns that Captain Anna Winshire (the infantry liaison for the irid mission) is Halden’s personal guard. He gives Violet a missive from Tecarus, who has sent her the requested texts from his library. The missive also says that King Courtlyn of Deverelli (the southernmost isle kingdom) has agreed to meet with Violet in exchange for the Amelian Citrine, a gem that Queen Maraya has in her possession. Queen Maraya is willing to give it to him if the gem can be retrieved from Anca, an occupied territory beyond the wards. During their conversation, Halden makes an offhand comment about how a rider’s first love is their dragon, and Violet realizes that this is the answer to her father’s clue. Halden flirts with Violet and invites her to dinner, claiming that she and Xaden cannot possibly be together anymore due to Codex rules. A shadow then sends Halden careening into a wall.

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