Spoilers ahead for the entire Empyrean series, including Fourth Wing, Iron Flame, Onyx Storm, and all of Threshing Day.

#079: This week on A Novel Bunch, we’re diving into Threshing Day chapters 1 through 7—and BUNCHIES, the dragons are somehow giving us MORE questions than answers.

We’re getting Threshing Day through Brennan, Mira, Xaden, Garrick, Dain, and Bodhi—and one thing keeps coming up: bloodlines.

Brennan bonds the orange daggertail Marbh after Papa Sorrengail mysteriously shows up at Threshing, gives him the now VERY suspicious black beaded bracelet, and casually reminds us that dragons have always loved the Sorrengail family.

Then Mira’s chapter gives us an even bigger reveal: the Sorrengail line includes fire wielding and tide wielding. Are dragons deliberately choosing certain bloodlines because they know what abilities will be needed for the war ahead?
And then there’s Xaden.

Sgaeyl calls him the grandson of Maxim Riorson—even though Xaden believes Maxim was his great-uncle—potentially explaining EXACTLY how Xaden manifested two signets without leadership realizing Sgaeyl had bonded someone in his direct bloodline.

Except Garrick’s dragon Chradh ALSO says he specifically sought out Garrick’s bloodline… and Garrick has two signets too.
COINCIDENCE?! WE THINK NOT.

Meanwhile, we see Colonel Aetos already molding Dain into the rule-following man we meet in Fourth Wing, Xaden and Garrick’s brotherhood is destroying us, Cat is already driving Xaden insane, and Bodhi gets some VERY suspicious “brother” and “death or demise” language that has us side-eyeing the venin brother theory all over again.

Oh—and why does everyone seem to be bleeding before their dragon bonds them?! Are dragons checking something in their blood before choosing them? Venin check, perhaps?

Because at this point, one thing feels very clear:

The dragons know WAY more than they’re telling us.

Let’s get into it, Bunchies!