Onyx Storm: Chapter 28

[penwalla]

The chapter opens three days later, in fucking Battle Brief. I'm sick of Battle Brief. I need to be free.

It's very crowded, because more fliers have arrived from Poromiel, and it's very stressful, because the venin are advancing in Krovla. Violet feels like shit because she went straight from her mission to class with no break per Aetos.

“He wanted you to trade your and Xaden’s… services… for weaponry?” Sawyer asks, leaning forward from Ridoc’s right and adjusting the top of his prosthesis. “I thought Deverelli was neutral. They don’t even have an army.”

Why doesn't Deverelli have an army? They have crossbolts to kill dragons and they had a palace full of guards and they have an armed populace. I also don't understand why 'neutrality' would prohibit them from having an army, or what neutrality even means in this context. There's no magic in Deverelli and Navarre is an isolationist country with no relations with Navarre. If they were involved with the war at all, it would be on the Poromiel side. They have relations with Poromiel to the point Tecarus has his own estate, so they've picked a side between the two nations, and since the venin can't use their powers on Deverelli soil, they are effectively removed from the venin conflict.

Ridoc hits on one of the new fliers with some success.

“Tell Sawyer about the Deverelli Army,” Ridoc reminds me, settling back in his seat as a first-year fumbles an easy question about high-ground strategy.

“Oh, right.” I yawn again and open the Archives door to a crackle of power in hopes it will keep me from falling asleep. Have to admit, it’s nice to be me again. “They have one. They just call them guards. So yes, they have weaponry to trade, they just don’t advertise it.”

“Wanting you as a weapon is weird. They don’t have magic,” Cat says from Maren’s left. “You’re scary with lightning, Sorrengail, but without it…” We all look her way, but she just shrugs. “What? You were all thinking it. I just said it.”

Again, I don't understand why this whole fixation on whether they have an army or not. I don't even know why Deverelli would want to make a show of not having an army when King Courtlyn was so pissed about Violet even implying that his island's economy was 'unstable'. It seems like they're a country that relies heavily if not entirely on trade, so why would they pretend not to have weaponry for sale? What benefit do they get from that when Courtlyn literally said a chapter or two ago that arms dealing was great for the economy? What?

I also agree with Cat that wanting Violet and Xaden's services is weird, but in Courtlyn's defense, he saw Xaden use his powers. If he doesn't know about the conduit, and it would be stupid for Violet to have told him about it, from his perspective it must seem like they do have access to their powers on Deverelli and were pretending not to. Also, they have dragons, which are huge sentient murder lizards even without their magic. It would actually be interesting if Violet and Xaden had to navigate this conflict, since if their alliance is predicated on their ability to fight, they're going to have to either make it work without their powers or reveal a huge weakness.

Class continues, and Violet realizes that the venin have changed strategy and are moving in for an assault on Aretia once the wards there fall.

Scene break.

Violet is worried about Xaden, who hasn't returned yet.

When I’m not learning in class, pushing burnout in the range, freezing my ass off in flight maneuvers, practicing with the mini crossbow Maren gifted me, working every muscle to its breaking point with Imogen, or listening to Andarna go into exhaustive detail on why Tairn is the worst— period— mentor— period— ever— period, I’m reading my dad’s books with whichever members of my squad can spare their time. It takes Dain and me two evenings to decode the clues Dad left to open the passcode-locked books, and once we do, I can’t even tell my sister, since she’s taken personal leave for the first time in her entire career.

And whenever I’m not doing any of that? I’m in the fighting pit with my squad, either for our own instruction or joining the rest of the quadrant in what’s quickly become our favorite activity— watching the shit get kicked out of one another in hopes of learning something.

Would have loved to see some of this decoding on the page instead of fucking Battle Brief. Also curious about what is up with Mira--the last couple chapters have set up a conflict between her and Violet, and I'm curious to see how that plays out.

They're now in fighting class, practicing against each other's signets. Sawyer is attending class, though he has yet to return to flight maneuvers. Violet is reading her dad's book with a blank leather cover on it in class. I would not have taken that risk, considering the number of enemies she has and the scrutiny she is under. Her dad's books are about Deverelli, but were written early in his career and "lack his usual insight." It's not clear to Violet yet what she's supposed to have gleaned from them.

Also, all Violet's friends are sniping at Imogen for working Violet too hard on the mat. Because of course they are. Violet is the most important person in the universe.

Violet is thinking about how wild it is that Garrick could probably walk to the Poromiel queen's library if he wanted using his secret second signet, and then has a realization and asks Bodhi about his second signet. Which of course he has. It is insane that everyone in Navarre just let all the Aretian rebel kids become riders! They have records on every rider and their dragon! Did it not occur to them to check if anyone would be second signet eligible? Did they want to have their government overthrown?

The first years arrive and try to convince Violet and co to let them on their mission, but are turned down. Dain shows up, looking very tired, and tells Sloane to train her signet, which she has not been doing. Which is dumb and what does she think she's bringing to the mission if she can't even master her own powers? The book implies Sloane and Dain are into each other, which, whatever. Neither of them are characters that inspire a lot of feeling in me.

Violet assigns all the first years a book to read and summarize for her after they make another plea to assist, and then she talks to Aaric about Halden being useless and stupid, which is his usual M.O.

While the others try to plan their search of the isles around Deverelli, Xaden shows up.

“I missed this.” I lean into the bond, like I can somehow burrow into it if I try hard enough, bury myself in us. In terms of intimacy, this is even better—

“Than sex,” Xaden finishes, and I find myself nodding instead of lecturing him about reading my intentions, but that wasn’t…

My eyes widen. Has he been honing his signet like Ridoc?

Didn't she have this exact revelation earlier in the book, but she blamed it on him being a venin?

Anyways, they're back to only being horny in their bond since they have to obey the fraternization rules and Xaden's eyes are now amber-flecked, which I guess is a bad sign. I know some of the opening quotes told us what the stages of venin-ing were but I can't remember.

It's impossible to search the isles and report back to the Senarium after every mission, especially because the gryphons are worse at flying than dragons, so Violet makes the radical suggestion that they just not report back in until they find the seventh breed. I can't believe it has taken her 48% of the book to come up with this idea. So what if she gets court-martialed? Why does she care? The book has never presented a coherent reason for why Violet is suddenly bound to the rules of Basgiath like she's book 1 Dain Aetos. What consequences that matter will result if she breaks the rules? I have no idea.

Bodhi asks Violet why she's in a rush, as if they're not being killed by the venin on the daily and the seventh dragons aren't their only chance at winning, and puts up a sound shield to make their conversation private, which begs the question of why they weren't already doing that.

Violet tells him about Xaden's eyes.

“Well, I have what you asked for.” He reaches into his pocket and hands over two vials that have been marked S and A. “I can get more if you want it.”

Serum and Antidote.

“Thanks.” I quickly pocket them before anyone can see. “I’m not planning on using them on—”

“I’m just glad you recognize you might have to,” he interrupts.

“We’ll find a cure,” I promise with far more certainty than I feel.

Bodhi’s mouth tightens. “I’d kill to go, but you need to take Garrick with you.”

Neither of us say what he means.

Take Garrick in case you don’t.

As they have this conversation, there's yelling from the mat as one of the riders fighting is cornered by the other, who is using fire. Bodhi refuses to help when Violet asks, because he's been ordered to stand down.

Bodhi, early on this page: "Because I’m all for fucking rules, ignoring orders, and bucking protocol"

So then the cadet being burned to death panics and turns into a venin, and is immediately executed by the dickhead professor who is running the class.

Chapter end.

At least the venin conflict is starting to seem like it might create a problem. It's the only conflict in this book so far that has been at all satisfying.