# CHAPTER 26: A Family Reunion at the Edge of War
Hello everyone, it's me again! How are you all doing? Today I will continue to walk with you and review CHAPTER 26 of "Fourth Wing" — a chapter that takes us away from Basgiath's bloody walls and straight into the heart of Montserrat, where old bonds are tested, family secrets whisper from the shadows, and one very dangerous man shows up at the absolute worst—and best—possible moment.
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Violet Sorrengail barely has time to catch her breath before the floor shifts beneath her feet—not literally, but close enough. After the exhausting chaos of the flight and the tense arrival at the eastern outpost, she and Rhiannon are finally shown to their shared barracks room. It's sparse: two beds, two wardrobes, a single desk beneath a wide window, and enough silence to make Violet's skin prickle. Rhiannon hasn't spoken a word since they dismounted.
"Are you all right?" Violet asks.
Rhiannon nods. "Later."
Later comes exactly twelve sweat-soaked minutes later, after a trip through the bathing chamber and a change into summer leathers. It's only April here, but Montserrat feels like Basgiath in June—thick heat, restless air, and a tension that hangs heavier than the humidity.
Violet stows her pack beneath her bed, checking every dagger strapped to her thighs. The Tyrrish symbols on the hilts are barely visible, but she doubts anyone this far east would recognize them. Then she turns to Rhiannon, who is trembling as she straps her sword to her back.
"Do you know where we are?" Rhiannon asks, her voice tight.
Violet mentally pulls up a map. "About two hundred miles from the coast—"
"My village is less than an hour away on foot."
The words hit Violet like a physical blow. Rhiannon's dark brown eyes meet hers, full of unspoken pleading, and Violet's throat closes. She knows exactly what Rhiannon is asking, and exactly what it will cost if they're caught. She takes Rhiannon's trembling hands in hers and squeezes.
"Don't tell anyone," Violet whispers, even though the room is empty. "We have six days to figure it out, and we will."
It's a promise. They both know it.
A pounding on the door shatters the moment. "Let's go, Second Squad!" It's Dain.
Nine months ago, Violet would have relished time away with him. Now, all she can do is avoid his endless expectations, avoid his gaze, avoid the ghost of who they used to be. Funny how much can change in such a short time.
Major Quade gives them the grand tour of the fortress. Violet's stomach growls, but she ignores it, soaking in the frantic energy of the outpost. Four massive walls, turrets on every corner, a spiked portcullis ready to drop at any second. One end of the courtyard holds a stable with a blacksmith and armory; the other holds the dining hall. Quade boasts they're built for siege, able to feed and house everyone inside for "an adequate amount of time."
*Adequate?* Ridoc mouths, raising his brows.
Violet presses her lips together to suppress a laugh. Dain gives Ridoc a look that promises retribution, and Violet's smile falls away.
"As one of the eastern outposts, we have a full twelve riders stationed here," Quade continues. "Three are out on patrol now, three stand by, and the other six are in various stages of rest."
"What is that look for?" Dain whispers to Violet.
"What look?" she asks, as the unmistakable roar of a dragon echoes off the stone walls.
"That should be one of our patrols returning now," Quade announces.
"The one where someone just sucked the joy out of your world," Dain responds, keeping his voice low enough that only Violet can hear.
She could lie, but their semi-truce is already fragile. "I was just remembering the guy I used to climb trees with, that's all."
Dain startles like she's slapped him.
Quade continues: "We'll get you riders fed and put to bed, and then we'll work on who you'll be shadowing while you're here."
"Will we get to participate in any active scenarios?" Heaton asks, practically vibrating.
"Absolutely not!" Devera snaps.
Quade chuckles. "If you see combat, then I've failed as this being the safest place on the border to send you. But you get bonus points for enthusiasm. Let me guess. Third-year?"
Heaton nods.
Quade turns slightly and smiles at three indistinct figures in rider black walking under the portcullis. "There they are now. Why don't you three come and meet—"
"Violet?"
Violet's head whips toward the gate. Her heart combusts in a series of erratic beats that leaves her clutching her chest with the best kind of shock. *No way.* There's no way.
She stumbles for the gate, forgetting to be stoic, forgetting to be untouchable, as the woman breaks into a run, arms opening just before they collide.
Mira. Her sister sweeps her up, yanking her against her chest and squeezing tight. Mira smells like dirt and dragon and the coppery tang of blood, but Violet doesn't care. She hugs back just as hard.
"Mira." Violet buries her face against her sister's shoulder, her eyes burning as Mira rests her hand on top of the very braid she taught Violet how to do. The weight of nine months comes crashing down, slamming into her with the force of a crossbolt: the wind of the parapet, the look in Xaden's eyes when he realized she was a Sorrengail, Jack swearing he'd kill her, the smell of burning flesh, the image of Aurelie's face as she fell from the Gauntlet—Pryor, Luca, Trina, Tynan, Oren, Amber Mavis. Tairn and Andarna choosing her. Xaden kissing her. Their mother ignoring her.
Mira pulls back just long enough to look her over, checking for damage. "You're all right." She nods, biting her bottom lip. "You're all right, aren't you?"
Violet nods, but Mira blurs in her vision. Violet might be alive, thriving even, but she's not the same person Mira left behind. From the heaviness in Mira's eyes, she knows it, too.
"Yeah," Mira whispers, drawing her in tight again. "You're all right, Violet. You're all right."
If she says it enough times, Violet might start to believe her.
"Are *you*?" Violet jerks back to study her sister. There's a new scar stretching from Mira's earlobe to her collarbone. "Gods, Mira."
"I'm fine," Mira promises, then grins. "And look at you! You didn't die!"
Irrational, giddy laughter bubbles out of Violet. "I didn't die! You're not an only child!"
They burst into laughter, tears tracking down Violet's cheeks.
"Sorrengails are weird," Imogen states.
"You have no idea," Dain answers, but Violet turns to find his lips curved into the first genuine smile she's seen from him in months.
"Shut up, Aetos," Mira barks, throwing her arm over Violet's shoulder. "Catch me up on everything, Violet."
They're hundreds of miles from Basgiath, but Violet has never felt more at home.
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Two days later, just after dinner, Violet and Rhiannon climb out their first-story window and drop to the ground. Mira's on patrol. As wonderful as it's been to have her sister close, this is their only chance.
"We're on our way," Violet murmurs.
"Don't get caught," Tairn warns.
"Trying not to."
They sneak along the battlement wall and turn the corner toward the field—
Violet runs straight into Mira so hard she bounces backward.
"Shit!" Rhiannon exclaims, catching her.
"Don't you at least check the corners?" Mira lectures, folding her arms over her chest with the exact look of a sister who knows she's right. "I didn't think you'd be there," Violet says slowly. "Because you're supposed to be on patrol."
"You were acting super weird at dinner." Mira tilts her head, reading Violet like a children's book. "So I switched shifts. Do you want to tell me what you're doing outside the walls?"
Violet glances at Rhiannon; Rhiannon looks away.
"Neither of you? Really?" Mira sighs and rubs the bridge of her nose. "You two need to sneak out of a heavily fortified defensive position because...?"
"She's going to figure it out anyway," Violet tells Rhiannon. "She's like a bloodhound. Trust me."
Rhiannon lifts her chin. "We're flying to my family's house."
Mira blanches. "You think you're *what*?"
"We're flying to her village. It's like a five-minute flight, according to Tairn, and—"
"Absolutely not." Mira shakes her head. "Nope. You cannot fly off like you're on vacation. What if something happens to you?"
"At her parents' house?" Violet asks slowly. "Because there's some major ambush planned on the off chance we might just drop in?"
Mira's eyes narrow.
*Shit.* This is not going well. Rhiannon's death grip on Violet's arm confirms it.
"We'd be in less danger visiting her parents than we are at Basgiath," Violet argues.
Mira's lips purse. "Fair point."
"Come with us," Violet blurts. "Seriously. Come with us, Mira. She just wants to see her sister."
Mira's shoulders dip. She's softening. Violet mercilessly goes in for the kill. "Raegan was pregnant when Rhiannon left. Can you imagine not being there with me if I had a kid? Wouldn't you do anything, including escape a heavily fortified defensive position, if that meant holding your niece or nephew? Besides, with the hero of Strythmore at our side, what could possibly go wrong?"
"Don't even start with that." Mira looks at Violet, then Rhiannon, then back. With a groan: "Oh, fucking *fine*." Her finger comes out swinging when they both grin. "But if you even think about telling anyone, I'll make you regret it for the rest of your natural life."
"She means it," Violet whispers.
"I believe it," Rhiannon answers.
"You're here two days and already breaking the rules." Mira mutters, striding forward. "Come on, it's quicker to cut down this path."
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An hour later, Violet and Mira are stretched out on cushioned benches flanking both sides of the dining table at Raegan's house, watching Rhiannon rock her nephew by the fireplace, lost in conversation with her sister while her parents and brother-in-law look on from the nearby couch. Watching them reunite is worth everything.
"Thank you for helping us," Violet says softly.
"You would have done it with or without me." Mira's smile is tender as she watches the family. "Figured at least this way I'd know you're safe. What other rules have you broken, sis?" She sips the pewter mug of wine Rhiannon's mother brought earlier.
A smirk tugs at Violet's mouth as she lifts one shoulder. "Maybe a few here and there. I've gotten very good at poisoning my opponents before challenges."
Mira nearly spits out her wine.
Violet laughs, crossing one booted ankle over the other. "Not what you were expecting?"
Respect shines in Mira's eyes. "I honestly don't know what I expected. I was just desperate for you to live. And then you went and not only bonded one of the most powerful dragons alive but a feathertail, too." She shakes her head. "My baby sister is a badass."
"Not sure Mom would agree with that." Violet rubs her thumb over the handle of her mug. "I'm not exactly manifesting a signet yet. I'm solid at grounding and can hold a pretty strong shield, but..." She can't tell Mira the rest—the gift Andarna has given her. Not yet. "If I don't manifest my signet soon..."
They both know what will happen.
Mira studies her quietly, then says, "Here's the thing. If you want your signet to manifest, then stop blocking it by thinking it has anything to do with Mom. Your power is yours and yours alone, Vi."
Violet squirms under the scrutiny and changes the subject, gaze dropping to Mira's neck. "How did that happen?"
"Gryphon," Mira answers. "Near the village of Cranston about seven months ago. Thing came out of nowhere in the middle of a village raid. The wards went down, and usually my signet gives me a little immunity from enemy wielders, but not their fucking birds. Took the healers hours to stitch me up. But it gave me a pretty cool scar." She tilts her chin to show it off.
"Cranston?" Violet thinks back through Battle Brief. "We never learned about that one. I..." Common sense tells her to shut her mouth.
"You what?" Mira takes another drink.
"I think there's way more going on along the borders than what we're told," Violet admits quietly.
Mira lifts her brows. "Well, of course there is. You don't expect Battle Brief to relay classified information, do you? And honestly, at the rate our borders are being attacked, they'd have to devote all day to Battle Brief just to dissect each assault."
"That makes sense. Do you guys get all the information?"
"Only what we need. Like, I could have sworn I saw a riot of dragons across the border during that attack." Mira shrugs. "But questions about secret operations are above my pay grade. Think of it this way—if you were a healer, would you need to know the details about everyone else's patients?"
Violet shakes her head. "No."
"Exactly. Now tell me, what the fuck is going on between you and Dain? I've seen less tension on a crossbow, and I don't mean the good kind."
"I needed to change in order to survive. He wouldn't let me." It's the simplest explanation for the last nine months. "I got his friend Amber killed. She was a wingleader. And honestly, everything with Xaden just pushed us so far apart that I don't know how to repair our friendship. Not to what it was, at least."
"The execution of that wingleader is common knowledge. You didn't get her killed. She got herself killed by breaking the Codex." Mira studies Violet for a quiet moment. "Is it true Riorson saved you that night?"
Violet nods. "Xaden is a complicated subject." So complicated she can't even identify her own feelings. Thinking of him leaves her tangled in knots. She wants him, but she can't trust him the way she wants to. Yet in other ways, he's the person she trusts most.
"I hope you know what you're doing there." Mira's grip tightens on her mug. "Because I distinctly remember warning you to steer clear of that traitor's son."
Violet's stomach turns at Mira's description of Xaden. "Tairn clearly didn't heed the warning."
Mira snorts.
"But really, if Xaden hadn't shown up that night, or if I hadn't been sleeping in the armor..." Violet pauses and leans forward to touch her sister's hand. "I can't even begin to tell you how many times you've saved my life without even being there."
Mira smiles. "Glad it worked. I swear it took an entire molting season to collect all those scales."
"Have you thought of telling Mom about it? Getting them made for all riders?"
"I told my leadership." Mira leans back and takes another drink. "They said they're looking into it."
They watch Rhiannon kiss her nephew's perfect chubby cheeks. "I've never seen a family this happy," Violet admits. "Even when Brennan and Dad were alive, we weren't like... that."
"No, we weren't." Mira's smile turns wistful. "But I can remember plenty of nights we spent curled around the fire with Dad and that book you love."
"Ah yes, the book you made me leave in my old bedroom."
"You mean the book I snagged just in case Mom got a wild hair and decided to clean out your things while you were in the quadrant?" Mira's smile morphs into a grin. "I have it at Montserrat. Figured you'd be pissed if you graduated and it was gone. I mean, whatever would you do if you forgot a minute detail of how the gallant riders took out the army of wyvern and the venin who sucked the land dry of magic?"
Violet blinks. "Shit. I can't remember. But I guess I'll be able to read it again soon!" A bubble of joy rises in her chest. "You are the best."
"I'll give it to you back at the outpost." Mira leans back and gives her a thoughtful look. "I know they're just stories, but I never used to get why the villains would choose to corrupt their souls and become venin, and now..." Her brow furrows.
"Now you empathize with the villain?" Violet teases.
"No." Mira shakes her head. "But we have the kind of power people would kill for, Violet. Dragons and gryphons are the gatekeepers, and I'm sure that to someone jealous enough, ambitious enough, risking a soul would be a fair price for the ability to wield." She shrugs. "Just makes me glad our dragons are so discerning and our wards keep the gryphon riders at bay. Who the hell knows what kind of people those furry creatures choose?"
They stay another hour—until they risk exposure by staying a minute longer. Then Mira and Violet give Rhiannon privacy to say goodbye to her family and step out of the house into the humid night. Tairn has been uncharacteristically quiet for the last couple of hours.
"Have you been stationed with any riders of mated pairs?" Violet asks Mira as she closes the door behind them.
"One," Mira answers, eyes narrowing on the darkened path ahead. "Why?"
"I'm just wondering how long they can be separated."
"Turns out, about three days is their max."
Xaden steps out of the shadows.
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## Reader's Impressions & Star Rating
This chapter is a beautiful, gut-punching blend of warmth and foreboding. Watching Violet reunite with Mira hit me right in the heart—there's so much unspoken love, pain, and healing in their interactions. The Rhiannon subplot adds emotional depth, and the final cliffhanger with Xaden stepping out of the shadows is absolutely iconic. The pacing is perfect; I was smiling one moment and holding my breath the next.
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Rating: 4.9 / 5 Stars
## Next Chapter Prediction
Xaden just exposed himself after three days of separation from his dragon—and from Violet. I predict the next chapter will be an intense confrontation where Xaden reveals why he's really at Montserrat, and his unexpected presence will force Violet to confront not only her unresolved feelings for him, but perhaps a dangerous secret mission that changes everything she thinks she knows about the border war. Get ready for tension, sparks, and a truth that might burn.
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