It goes without saying that THERE ARE MAJOR SPOILERS AHEAD. If you haven’t read this chapter of Onyx Storm, please go read it first.

We kick off with an interesting observation from Asher. There we have it—we have our answer about the blue colors from the previous chapter.

It takes four times as much indigo to dye even the simplest garment. He’s asking if the continent is the exception among the isles. In my mind, my theory is that where there is magic, the colors are more intense. It makes sense, probably because I think of the venin that drains color from everything and leaves it grey.

“I’ll have a scar to match the one Tynan gave me during Threshing” – I cannot help but wonder, again, if this is a parallel between Gods: the threshing scar meant almost to honor Tairn (Malek) and this new one to honor Dunne.

Please pay attention to this: “No!” Aaric reaches for me.” Do we think he says this because of his signet? Can he see what happens to Violet if she is to fight? Could it be that unless there is…let’s say, divine intervention, Aaric saw her die in this combat?

“Movement catches my attention to the right, and when I look at the statue of Dunne, I almost swear her eyes flash golden and glance my way for a second. Just once, it would be nice if Andarna stayed where I asked her to.”

This was probably one of the coolest uses of words. So clever. First of all, because of what we’ve witnessed in Deverelli, it’s natural to immediately assume that Andarna is there, blending with the statue. I think not—I think Dunne might actually have golden eyes, which again leads me to believe that there is a clear connection between dragons and Gods. But then, moments later, Andarna tells Violet that Aetos is unconscious. How else would she know?

I want to insert a lengthy parenthesis here and explain that, according to one of our readers, Emma, Andarna—weirdly enough—only ever says Dain’s name. Dain and Aetos are the only two she has ever uttered to Violet; everyone else has nicknames or references. Just a little odd observation, because the implications here are huge. Dragons don’t seem to EVER use other riders’ names. In fact, if you read other POVs, you realize that Sgaeyl never says Violet. Tairn always calls others “the wingleader,” “the spare,” “the dark one,”, “the squadleader”, “X’s rider” and Rhi’s dragon Feirge calls Violet “the lightning wielder.” And yet, Andarna calls Dain “Dain” and “Aetos” by name in two different instances. This could be interpreted as evidence that Andarna is somehow connected to him as well. And while she does call Violet “Violet,” it suggests that Andarna is not actually where Dunne’s statue is, but that she knows what’s up with Dain because of her connection with him. Confusing? Yes.

“Rage devours me from the scalp down, storming through my veins in a surge of heat that sizzles the rain on my skin.”

Not only is Violet extremely fast, but she gets her way—“Fucking yield!” You can taste her anger and rage. And that’s when lightning strikes. The whole scene is so special. I can only imagine Violet, outraged atop Marlis, with lightning striking left and right until the queen just turns to stone!

And after, we have our answer in relation to where Andarna is/was all this time.

“Rain streams down my face as I look upward, finding Andarna between Sgaeyl and Tairn on the wall, her scales rippling with alarming speed in various shades of black. ‘Are you all right?’”

Andarna was NOT hiding. Dunne’s actual golden eyes might have been the ones that flashed. But what is more interesting is that Andarna’s scales come in various shades of black—like Tairn’s scales. And Violet just wielded…a signet which she normally gets from Tairn. Andarna is angry, upset that laws were broken. Begs the question. Where did Violet get her power just now?

“No,” I shake my head. “I mean…” The heat. The anger. The snap. Weird. “Just coincidence.” Or Dunne. “There isn’t any magic here.”

Oooooh. Or Dunne? That was so subtle, so good. What does it mean that it was Dunne? Was it Dunne who struck the lightning? Dunne who gave Violet magic directly? Dunne—as in Sgaeyl and her potential connection with Dunne? So many questions, too few answers.

“And you are wasting my time, Amarali.” She hurls the word at me like an insult.

Interesting, considering that perhaps only the Queen of Gods might have authority over Dunne herself, giving Violet the power she needed to defy the jealous God?

And here’s another fun thing: “If there were such a thing, this isle hasn’t seen fire-breathers in centuries.” Centuries. The isles had dragons before. Was it the dragons that used too much of the magic from the ground?

How many centuries? Lucky for us, the Queen tells us exactly that!

“I didn’t,” I answer, pivoting to face her. “You have no magic here for me to wield.”

“And yet you’ve destroyed something that stood for seven hundred years before your arrival.” Her eyes narrow slightly. “Perhaps it is truly Zihnal who blesses you. Good luck when you search that particular isle—they have a mean streak.”

Seven centuries. Before the Great War. Odd. But what jumps at me from the very pages of the book is what The queen said about the other God.

“Perhaps it is truly Zihnal who blesses you.” The words sound as if she didn’t believe it before, but now she does for a fact. Interesting. Are we all wrong about who touched Violet? We assume it was Dunne and Malek, but could it have been Zihnal all this time?

And finally, the ending of this chapter, as chilling as it is, begs the question: why do the isles want dragons?

“The same thing everyone in the isles craves. She pauses and looks back over her shoulder. “Dragons.”

Do dragons bring magic and color with them? Were they here before, only to leave and take their magic with them? Or did they drain the land of magic? So many possibilities…

Onyx Storm Read Along

• Onyx Storm Read Along: Prologue
• Onyx Storm Read Along – Chapter 1
• Onyx Storm Read Along – Chapter 2
• Onyx Storm Read Along – Chapter 3
• Onyx Storm Read Along – Chapter 4
• Onyx Storm Read Along – Chapter 5
• Onyx Storm Read Along – Chapter 6
• Onyx Storm Read Along – Chapter 7
• Onyx Storm Read Along – Chapter 8
• Onyx Storm Read Along – Chapter 9
• Onyx Storm Read Along – Chapter 10
• Onyx Storm Read Along – Chapter 11
• Onyx Storm Read Along – Chapter 12
• Onyx Storm Read Along – Chapter 13
• Onyx Storm Read Along – Chapter 14
• Onyx Storm Read Along – Chapter 15
• Onyx Storm Read Along – Chapter 16
• Onyx Storm Read Along – Chapter 17
• Onyx Storm Read Along – Chapter 18
• Onyx Storm Read Along – Chapter 19
• Onyx Storm Read Along – Chapter 20
• Onyx Storm Read Along – Chapter 21
• Onyx Storm Read Along – Chapter 22
• Onyx Storm Read Along – Chapter 23
• Onyx Storm Read Along – Chapter 24
• Onyx Storm Read Along – Chapter 25
• Onyx Storm Read Along – Chapter 26
• Onyx Storm Read Along – Chapter 27
• Onyx Storm Read Along – Chapter 28
• Onyx Storm Read Along – Chapter 29
• Onyx Storm Read Along – Chapter 30
• Onyx Storm Read Along – Chapter 31
• Onyx Storm Read Along – Chapter 32
• Onyx Storm Read Along – Chapter 33
• Onyx Storm Read Along – Chapter 34
• Onyx Storm Read Along – Chapter 35
• Onyx Storm Read Along – Chapter 36
• Onyx Storm Read Along – Chapter 37
• Onyx Storm Read Along – Chapter 38
• Onyx Storm Read Along – Chapter 39
• Onyx Storm Read Along – Chapter 40
• Onyx Storm Read Along – Chapter 41
• Onyx Storm Read Along – Chapter 42
• Onyx Storm Read Along – Chapter 43
• Onyx Storm Read Along – Chapter 44
• Onyx Storm Read Along – Chapter 45
• Onyx Storm Read Along – Chapter 46
• Onyx Storm Read Along – Chapter 47
• Onyx Storm Read Along – Chapter 48
• Onyx Storm Read Along – Chapter 49
• Onyx Storm Read Along – Chapter 50
• Onyx Storm Read Along – Chapter 51
• Onyx Storm Read Along – Chapter 52
• Onyx Storm Read Along – Chapter 53
• Onyx Storm Read Along – Chapter 54
• Onyx Storm Read Along – Chapter 55
• Onyx Storm Read Along – Chapter 56
• Onyx Storm Read Along – Chapter 57
• Onyx Storm Read Along – Chapter 58
• Onyx Storm Read Along – Chapter 59
• Onyx Storm Read Along – Chapter 60
• Onyx Storm Read Along – Chapter 61
• Onyx Storm Read Along – Chapter 62
• Onyx Storm Read Along – Chapter 63
• Onyx Storm Read Along – Chapter 64
• Onyx Storm Read Along – Chapter 65
• Onyx Storm Read Along – Chapter 66