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. Please note that some spoilers from future chapters will be found here.

The epigraph is great. Learning a little more about Imogen’s mother, Tracila. The last words were redacted: “Will you and your daughters.” Because “yours” is in italics, something tells me this is the part that was redacted. Interesting…

We get to see the world through Imogen’s eyes. I’m really excited to see how she thinks, who she is. We’re picking up right from where we left off. Violet saw Glane chasing after Cuir despite the order to ground. And so… we continue from Imogen’s POV.

“I’d rather die than see a Navarrian aristocrat on the burned throne Mom and Katrina died defending.”
Wait. I know I always say that Tyrrendor was the original crown seat. Could it be that it was independent? Tyrrendor was its own crown?

And so we begin: Felix knows about Garrick’s second signet.

“Oh shit. Felix knows about Garrick.
Gods, he has to be nearing burnout at this point.”
Could this be a clue?

“Cath launches, and I blink in surprise. Guess Aetos is all about breaking rules now.”

Dain is also accounted for. Surprisingly always breaking the rules nowadays indeed—and helping out. What got into Dain?

There: “I want them all.” Glane’s head swivels in both directions.
“Go for the one at his back,” I suggest and hope she’s in the mood to listen. Never know with her.

We get an insight into how oranges think. They are chaos, right? We know that for a fact. Rebecca Yarros has confirmed it for us: orange dragons don’t need to be all mean, but they are the most unpredictable. Glane sure acts like it.

“There’s a hole in Cuir’s right wing,
and the laceration on his chest is going to leave a scar, but I can’t tell at this angle if Bodhi is wounded.”

We take stock of this. Bodhi could be wounded.

Then she continues by saying: “but they’re down their most powerful rider—Garrick. And there’s no sign of Chradh in sight.”

“And I look away from what’s likely a fatal wound on a severed tail on a large brown.”
A large brown. She knows the dragons well. She would have said their name. She said there is no sign of Chradh in sight. She would have noticed Aotrom too. The brown is now one of our own.

A few things to note. Quinn is Imogen’s true best friend. The moment she is in danger, Imogen went straight over to help. Imogen is unnaturally fast. Is this a signet or did she perfect her lesser magic?

“The dark wielder pivots, whipping to face us with an unnatural speed even I can’t match.”

If it’s not clear, let me explain. Quinn is in the tower, astral projecting to protect the weapons. All weapons are in the tower currently. Garrick is going back and forth to bring more.

But then, the next part is truly incredible. Imogen definitely has a second signet. And no, it’s not speed—that might just be her third. Imogen is a stone wielder. Do you remember that this was foreshadowed in a very early chapter?

For your reminder, it was this:
“Then you’re fucked, because I can’t think of a single rock or earth wielder in our history.”

And yet here is Imogen:

Fuck, I really didn’t want to have to do this, but I mentally open the door to my childhood home and flood my body with her power.
“Get behind me!” I shout, ripping the shield from his grip. His eyes flare wide, and he lets go. We have seconds, so I flip the shield, then slam its flat top between the row of stones at our feet and drop behind it, keeping my hand on the leather strap. […]
Heat surrounds us and the leather hardens in my grip as the shield turns to stone. Fire roars, blazes, flows around us. We are the rock in the river, demanding the water part.”

And then:
“He glances at the stone shield, then breaks into a run, and I follow, sprinting as fast as I can.
“And we’re going to talk about whatever the fuck that just was later,”

Aetos is just about finding out everyone’s second signets today. First Garrick, now Imogen. Imogen is a rock wielder. And turns out, there hasn’t been one in “their” history. Does this mean that maybe there has been one in the history where history has not been altered? Why would they cover someone with such power?

And just as we’re about to celebrate, Rebecca Yarros takes our breath away:
“The venin’s blade is lodged between her ribs in the vicinity of her heart.”

“There are no menders here, and no runes for this.”
You see, I think this is where we’re wrong. I think Brennan has the runes for this. But in keeping his secret—in keeping what happened before a secret—he didn’t give anyone the runes for resurrection. I think that’s exactly what’s on his palm.

Ooooh… OH! “Parapet to Malek’s own doorstep.”
I think there is so much meaning to this. Parapet to Malek’s doorstep. I think there’s a whole conspiracy theory here, worth mentioning. How come riders have to go through so, so much to bond a dragon, when in gryphon’s case they just… know? There is so much we don’t know. Why is Navarre giving so many souls to Malek? Why the parapet? Why do they have a fire-burning pit on top of their school?

In case you want to cry a little…
“We made it a good one.”

Hi! I’m Quinn Hollis. I’ve decided we should be friends. That’s what she said to me as we climbed the turret on Conscription Day.
You do realize we’re about to cross the walkway of death.
Well, then it might be a short friendship, but we’ll make it a good one.

We then have a tender moment between Imogen and Garrick. Three years. Three years of being in the same school, and not once did Imogen say something. Why? She clearly loves him. Glane said so. Quinn said so on her “dead bed.” Why not?

Garrick takes Imogen somewhere else—within the wards, I would imagine.
“Imogen steps outside into the rain and stares.”

“Then I step outside into the rain and stare.”
This is so, so important.

“Outside, the sky darkens further.”

Please note that further we have some spoilers from next chapters:

Remember that at this point, Xaden is missing still. In my opinion, he is already in the canyon (this is a spoiler for the penultimate chapter, by the way). Violet is already fighting Theophanie (spoiler for the next chapter). This is all happening in tandem.

Bodhi is on his hands and knees across the town square, retching. He is accounted for. Garrick leaves… we do not know where.

“Outside, the sky darkens further.”
As she is looking at the sky—we do know from the penultimate chapter: [Xaden’s shadows]“rushing over Imogen as she looks to the sky.” Again, I think this is important for understanding who is missing at the end.

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