In Violet’s room, time mysteriously stops, letting Violet slip out of Oren’s chokehold and away from multiple assailants. When time resumes, Xaden arrives, shadows throttling attackers while he summarily slits Oren Seifert’s throat. Garrick and Bodhi help remove bodies as Violet reels in shock and pain.

Xaden checks Violet’s injuries, discovering her dragon-scale vest spared her ribs from breaking. He cloaks and boots her, then escorts her through dark corridors to a concealed tunnel beneath the academic wing, intent on asking Tairn what happened and how the door was breached.

At the flight field, Tairn, Sgaeyl, and Andarna land. Xaden confronts Tairn; Sgaeyl speaks to Violet because Tairn and Sgaeyl are mates, tethering Violet and Xaden’s fates. Andarna and Sgaeyl explain that feathertails are born with innate gifts separate from signets and that bonding too young can pass those gifts directly to riders.

Andarna is revealed to be about two years old—a juvenile feathertail whose parents died—and she lent Violet her gift, briefly pausing time to save her. The dragons warn the gift is unstable and dangerous; overuse could burn Andarna out and kill both rider and dragons. If leadership learned of it, Andarna would be hunted.

They all swear secrecy; Tairn notes the gift may vanish as Andarna matures. The dragons depart, Tairn supporting a fatigued Andarna back to the Vale. Returning to the tunnel, Xaden presses Violet to keep the power hidden and demands to know which rider unlocked her door, insisting their survival now depends on mutual trust.