Chapter Fifty-Seven

Summary

• The chapter opens with the protagonist visiting Athebyne for the second time, troubled by hidden information from Xaden Riorson.
• The protagonist stayed in the library, contemplating thoughts and dealing with a stiff neck and back.
• Xaden landing on Sgaeyl’s back signals a gesture of trust as he shares information with the protagonist.
• Ten riders land before a scheduled meeting, six dragons hide, and four stand ready.
• Tairn assures the secrecy of the dragons’ presence from others as they stay downwind.
• There is tension between Tairn and Sgaeyl, which the protagonist jokes about as parental disagreement.
• Xaden confronts the protagonist about not returning to bed, and a discussion about intentions and trust follows.
• A sound from the clearing indicates the meeting is starting earlier than planned.
• Discussions take place about a recent journal study and whether Xaden has ever manipulated the protagonist's feelings with his signet.
• Mira, a confident character, questions the protagonist's readiness for the upcoming encounter.
• Melgren's entry leads to a tense discussion about past actions and future consequences of a battle at Samara.
• Ulices, Brennan, Xaden, and Mira reject Melgren's proposition to fight alongside Navarre.
• Melgren reveals a vision of Navarre's loss at Samara on solstice, triggering concerns about the impact of ward breakdowns.
• The protagonist's mother converses with her, giving her a journal with information to help fix the potentially faulty wards.
• A wyvern reanimates, but the protagonist's lightning kills it, revealing that someone has likely distributed runes to the venin.
• The chapter concludes with the protagonist worried about her ability to uncover the truth behind Warrick's wards, feeling the pressure to prevent an impending disaster.