Content Warning: The source material and guide feature depictions of graphic violence, sexual context, and illness/death. 

“I am as unknown as he is, and you still trust me,’ she says. ‘I will not be another battle you have to fight.”

Andarna refuses to become another source of conflict in Violet’s already tumultuous life. The contrast between Andarna’s self-perception as “unknown” highlights that she might be struggling with The Importance of Kinship and feeling a lack of confidence about her role in Violet’s life. Her lack of a community of irids like her creates a void that prompts Andarna’s insecurities. This moment also reflects Andarna’s innate sense of agency—while she is bonded to Violet, she does not wish to be a burden or manipulated as the irids fear. Her autonomy is further emphasized when she ultimately chooses to break her bond with Violet for her own growth, mirroring her independence from the beginning.

“I drop my shields, and Tairn’s and Andarna’s bonds come flooding back at full strength, but the shimmering pathway that leads to Xaden is still blocked, dimmed to an echo of its usual presence. The loss of constant connection sucks, but he doesn’t trust himself—or what he thinks he’ll become—to keep it open yet.”

This passage highlights the concerns evident surrounding Xaden’s affliction. The fact that there is already a blockade on their mental connection does not bode well for the trajectory of his path toward becoming venin. The dimmed mental pathway symbolizes both physical and emotional detachment. Xaden is not just shutting Violet out to protect her, but also rejecting a core part of himself—his bond with her represents his last tether to his humanity, making its weakening an ominous foreshadowing. This quote speaks to