Onyx Storm: Chapter 7

[penwalla]

If I’m to be court-martialed for helping Braxtyn defend his people, then I shall welcome the trial. All who channel from dragon and gryphon alike should flourish under the wards, and now Aretia will be that haven should one of the others ever return.

—Journal of Lyra of Morraine

—Translated by Cadet Jesinia Neilwart

Okay, finally a good opening quote. This implies that the wards at Aretia might be different from the Basgiath wards and not stop the gryphon's magic. But it's not outright stated, so we're not spoiling everything immediately. If this pays off further in the book and not in this chapter, even better.

Chapter start: Violet and co. are sneaking to the Healer's Quadrant late at night. Ridoc is begging to be on the quest squad, and Violet says that if she had a say, she would take him. Don't quite why she doesn't get a say if she and Xaden are so important that they're willing to give Xaden his territory and his title back, but okay.

They're breaking in to bust out Sawyer. Violet calls in a favor with Dyre, a healer that was part of the nagivation assignment last year where the quadrants were mixed. Would have been nice if that had paid off in the book it was in, so I could remember that Dyre existed, but at least it is paying off.

Violet has Dyre drug the healers so that she can borrow Sawyer. Because Sawyer's signet is controlling metal, and they need someone who can alter the material runes are inscribed in. Presumably this has to do with the wards at Aretia, or something? The wards at Basgiath? Sawyer is despondent, because the loss of his leg has shaken his confidence in whether he can be a rider, but the others encourage him and he agrees to help.

Sawyer's depression was set up earlier in the book, so that's actually good pay off. They make their way to the wardstone--okay, I was right, they're altering the wards to allow the fliers to use their powers--only to find the guards have been replaced with Mira, who suspected Violet would try something. She's not happy about it, but she agrees to help. Brennan and some fliers are also there.

It works, though they also destroy a rune they don't understand the purpose of, so I assume that will be a problem later on.

“We did it!” Ridoc bounces to his feet, throwing his fists in the air. “Fuck yes, Sawyer! Fuck you, Senarium—the fliers can wield! They can stay with their squads!”

I grin like a kid. In eight hours, the accord for the riot to stay will be signed, and we’ll be whole.

I have a question. Why? Why does the fliers' ability to wield mean they can stay? The argument I've heard made is that the Basgiath riders want them gone because they're anti-Poromiel in general, on account of the war they've been fighting. Tecarus had some kind of deal with Violet, but it was just for the fliers to be allowed to stay, not that they had to have their powers back. So why is the assumption that if the fliers can't wield, they will be allowed to stay? They're being sent away because their country and Navarre are at war and actively not able to come to a peace treaty. It seems like Poromiel should want them back so they have some defense against the venin.

Worth noting that this is all framed like the fliers are buddy-buddy with the Aretian riots now and it's about squad unity, even though that was not the case in Iron Flame and I don't think it was ever resolved properly.

Next scene. BATTLE BRIEF.

The professors mercifully don't teach anything and instead just announce the new leadership for the cadets, with four wingleaders and incoming fliers to round out their numbers. Dain Aetos gets to be Fourth Wing wingleader. And then...

“Violet Sorrengail!” Colonel Aetos shouts from the doorway, his face a mottled shade of red as his narrowed eyes search the briefing room.

“Here.” Bracing my hands on the edges of my seat to fight a sudden wave of dizziness, I rise to stand as four riders follow Aetos in.

“Vi,” Rhiannon whispers.

“No one say a damned thing,” I reply under my breath. “I’ll be fine.”

“You are hereby charged with high treason against the kingdom of Navarre!”

Chapter end! What I love about Yarros's writing is the way you can tell she (and no one else) has actually reread any part of it to see if it makes sense.