Onyx Storm Chapters 23–27 Summary & Analysis

Summary: Chapters 23–27

Chapter 23

Quest squad heads into town on horseback to look for the merchant and everyone, including Violet, is stunned by Xaden’s good mood. They arrive at the bookstore and are quickly attacked; Deverelli people do not trust riders, whom they refer to as “fire bringers.” However, they quickly overpower their attackers. Narelle, the shopkeeper's mother, arrives and recognizes Violet as Asher’s daughter, and says that she has the books he wrote for her.

Chapter 24

Narelle apologizes for her family’s protection of the books. Before she is willing to hand them over, however, she questions Violet in order to assess her. She asks Violet why the Krovlan uprising fell apart, and Violet uses her intellect and her father’s research to guess that Krovla did not keep their part of whatever deal they made with Deverelli. Rather than lose their reputation, Deverelli then withdrew their brokerage and told the Poromish king regent where to find the rebels. Narelle says that her answer is not good enough and asks what deal was broken. Violet guesses that Deverelli arranged a deal with Krovla and an unnamed isle; the isle in question would provide an army if Krovla provided dragons. When Krovla was unable to do so, the deal fell apart. Narelle is impressed with her reasoning and presents her with Asher’s texts, also password protected.

Later, while Violet takes a bath, Xaden returns and asks how she is feeling after riding all day. When Violet says she feels fine, Xaden kisses her.

Chapter 25

Xaden tells Violet they can have sex because there is no magic in Deverelli, meaning he is not at risk of losing control. They do so, passionately, and break a table in the process. Afterwards, Violet suggests they just stay here until she finds a cure so he can be at peace. Xaden, however, responds that their dragons are in pain here without magic and that he would never take Violet away from the people she loves. The couple is interrupted by a knock at the door, and Ridoc teases them for breaking another piece of furniture before Dain interrupts and says King Courtlyn has decided to keep Halden. Xaden is the only aristocrat available to speak with him, and he begrudgingly says he and Violet will go.

Chapter 26

Xaden brings Violet with him to meet King Courtlyn. When his guards question Violet’s lack of aristocratic status, Xaden refers to Violet as his consort (that is, the spouse of a reigning monarch), which both shocks and delights Violet. The pair are led into a large hall where they find Tecarus, Halden, and King Courtlyn seated at a table. Halden explains what happened: he reestablished diplomatic connections with Deverelli and asked for their permission to use Tecarus’s manor to launch their search mission in return for the gem he requested. He starts to say that he offered the Blade of Aretia to King Courtlyn when the monarch demanded more, but King Courtlyn then announces that the blade was not Halden’s to give, and abruptly stabs his hand.

The king tells them Halden secretly sent his guard, Captain Anna Winshire, to steal from Deverelli’s treasury while they were negotiating. He also implies that he used to know Xaden’s father. During the conversation, Violet attempts to ask if the Deverelli people ever found a way to defeat or cure venin, but the king does not answer. King Courtlyn’s servants then set a platter on the table containing the severed head of Captain Winshire, which the king intends to feed to his beloved pet panthers. Xaden attempts to bargain his father’s emerald-studded sword in exchange for Halden’s release and the right to use Deverelli as a base in their quest, but Violet stops him, claiming he has sacrificed enough. She starts to offer her own trade, but Halden interrupts her to go on a lengthy tirade condemning Deverelli. In response, King Courtlyn orders his guards to kill everyone except for Tecarus.

Chapter 27

The guards attack. Violet and Xaden work together to fight them off, and Violet is injured in the process. Upon seeing that Violet is hurt, Xaden loses control and kills the twelve remaining guards by channeling—something they did not think was possible in a country with no magic. Violet sees that Xaden’s eyes are rimmed with red again. She fights through her panic to tell Xaden she loves him and that he has to trust her to get them out of here, to which he agrees. Upon Violet’s instruction, Andarna enters the hall and holds one of King Courtlyn’s beloved panthers in her mouth until the king agrees to Violet’s terms. Violet gives him Andarna’s shell for Halden’s crimes in addition to the citrine, and King Courtlyn allows them the use of Deverelli as their base while they search for the irids. He then asks if they will start their search in Unnbriel, the closest main isle, and says he has another deal to broker with them if they are.

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