Ending explained On Wings of Blood Briar Boleyn

On Wings of Blood Ending Explained – Full Spoiler Breakdown

⚠️ Spoiler Warning: This guide contains detailed spoilers for the entire novel. Proceed only if you've finished reading or are comfortable knowing the plot.

Direct Account of the Ending

The climax of On Wings of Blood takes place in Chapter 60 (numbered as Chapter 65 in the book). Medra Pendragon meets Blake Drakharrow in the moonlit Dragon Court. What begins as a passionate kiss turns dark when Blake bites Medra without consent to feed. He then reveals a devastating truth: by tricking her into drinking his blood during an earlier encounter, he has completed a fated bond—Medra is now his mate. When she refuses to accept the bond, Blake uses it to control her body and forces a feeding from her.

During this coerced feeding, an earthquake shatters the black dragon statue of House Avari, awakening the ancient dragon Nyxaris. Medra realizes that her earlier severance ritual, performed under the Crown of Bone, had accidentally freed the dragon. She attempts to bond with Nyxaris through flattery and promises, but the dragon dismisses her. Nyxaris warns Medra that he has no plans to return to Bloodwing and orders her to lie about his awakening or face execution. The dragon flies away over Veilmar, leaving Medra and Blake in stunned silence.

The book then includes an author's note (Chapter 66) inviting readers to join the Rose Court Street Team, followed by publisher information (Chapter 67). There is no narrative epilogue—the story ends in that moment of uncertainty.

The Climax Explained

The climax intertwines two major events: the forced completion of the fated bond between Medra and Blake, and the literal awakening of Nyxaris. Both events strip Medra of agency in different ways. Blake's betrayal—using physical intimacy to gain control—echoes the book's repeated theme of consent versus possession. Meanwhile, Medra's accidental freeing of Nyxaris, followed by the dragon's refusal to bond, leaves her vulnerable to accusations from the highbloods who will now know a dragon is loose.

The earthquake that shatters the statue is the physical manifestation of Medra's earlier choices under the Crown of Bone. The Crown forced her into a life-or-death decision that ultimately released Nyxaris from a cursed slumber. The dragon's awakening is the direct consequence of the trauma Medra endured during the Games.

Major Character Outcomes

  • Medra Pendragon: Becomes Blake's fated mate against her will. She gains Blake's blood and power but loses any remaining sense of independent choice. She witnesses Nyxaris's freedom and is burdened with the secret that she must lie to avoid execution.

  • Blake Drakharrow: Achieves his goal of binding Medra to him permanently, but the method—coercion and force—damages any trust between them. He also faces the consequences of Coregon's treason and the political fallout of dissolving his betrothal to Regan.

  • Regan Pansera: In Chapter 56, Blake invokes the Right of Dissolution, ending their betrothal. Regan's punishment is left unresolved; Medra declines to invoke the Right of Retribution, sparing Regan's life. Regan's fate remains uncertain—she may face a tribunal or be forced into a new arrangement.

  • Florence Shen: Survives the Games. Her friendship with Medra endures, and her quick thinking at the bonfire (Chapter 17) prevents a tragedy. Florence's story is largely a supporting one, with her own romantic feelings for Naveen left unresolved after his death.

  • Naveen: Is transformed into a spider-creature by the highbloods and killed by Medra in a mercy killing (Chapter 54). His death is a direct result of the Crown of Bone and represents the brutal cost of highblood cruelty.

  • Orcades Le Fay: Is confirmed as Medra's mother, speaking to her in visions. Her prelude couplet about love and eternity foreshadows the book's central conflict—whether loving sacrifice extends life or binds it.

  • Viktor Drakharrow: Remains a looming threat. He orders Blake to keep Medra under Drakharrow control and hints at larger political instability in Veilmar.

  • Nyxaris: The ancient black dragon awakens but refuses to bond with Medra. He flies away, leaving Medra to lie about his return.

Resolved Threads

  1. Blake wins House Leadership by killing Coregon in a duel (Chapter 24). This cements his authority but at the cost of a friend's betrayal.

  2. The fated bond is completed (Chapter 60). Blake's trick works, and he now has permanent control over Medra through the bond.

  3. Regan's betrothal is dissolved (Chapter 56). Blake ends the alliance, stripping Regan of political protection.

  4. Naveen's fate is resolved with his death, a mercy killing that Medra must live with.

Unresolved Threads

  1. Nyxaris's future: The dragon refuses to return. Whether he will ever bond with a rider or become a threat to Bloodwing is unknown.

  2. The conspiracy: Coregon's dying words implicated Blake's brother Marcus in a plot. This remains unexplored, setting up a major conflict for future books.

  3. Viktor's plan: Viktor wants Medra's blood and sees her as a symbol of rebellion. His visit to the Sanctum hinted at a larger scheme involving the Bloodmaiden rituals.

  4. Medra's identity: Medra learns she is of royal fae blood (via Orcades), but she has no clear path to reclaiming her lost powers or understanding her heritage.

  5. The Crown of Bone's lingering effects: The Crown forced Medra to sacrifice Naveen. The trauma and guilt carry into the ending, but its long-term impact on her psyche is unresolved.

  6. The political unrest in Veilmar: Blightborn are being killed, and Blake warns that Medra could become a symbol—yet no action is taken.

  7. Florence's future: Her role as Medra's best friend is secure, but her own ambitions and possible romantic arcs are left open.

Theme Resolution

The book's central themes—power and hierarchy, consent and control, identity and heritage, resistance and survival, and love and possession—all converge in the ending.

  • Power and hierarchy are challenged but not overturned. Medra survives but remains subjugated under Blake and the highblood system.
  • Consent and control are the most violated themes: Blake forces the bond, the Crown of Bone forces Medra's choices, and Nyxaris refuses any partnership.
  • Identity and heritage are partly resolved—Medra knows she is Orcades's daughter and a descendant of royalty—but she still cannot access her fae powers or full identity.
  • Resistance and survival are grimly achieved: Medra survives the Games and the bond, but her resistance is undermined by Blake's control.
  • Love and possession are twisted together. Blake's declaration of love is inseparable from his desire to own Medra. The ending suggests that possession has won, but Medra's inner strength—shown by her defiance of Nyxaris—leaves hope that love may transform in future books.

Reasonable Interpretations

The bond as a trap vs. a future choice: The fated bond is presented as nonconsensual, but the narrative may allow Medra to eventually accept or break it. The Severance ritual was incomplete (it freed Nyxaris instead), implying that bonds can be altered.

Nyxaris's words: The dragon says Medra must become very good at lying. This could foreshadow her learning to manipulate the highbloods or becoming a political player.

The Bloodmaiden rituals: The vision in Chapter 41 shows a union called "Blessed Blood." This may tie into a larger plan for Medra to become a Bloodmaiden—or be offered as one—in a future book.

Orcades's prophecy: "Who meets their death devoid of love shall surely face their end. But one who gives their soul away, eternity extends." Medra gives her soul (the bond) involuntarily, but this may still grant her immortality or a prolonged life.

Six Reader Questions Answered

1. Is the fated bond between Medra and Blake complete by the end?

Yes. In Chapter 60, Blake reveals that he tricked Medra into drinking his blood earlier, completing the bond. She becomes his mate against her will.

2. Does Nyxaris return to Bloodwing?

No. Nyxaris flies away and tells Medra he has no plans to return. He warns her to lie about his awakening or face execution. His return is left for a sequel.

3. What happens to Regan Pansera?

Blake dissolves their betrothal in Chapter 56. Medra spares Regan's life by not invoking the Right of Retribution, but Regan's fate is not resolved—she may face a tribunal or be exiled.

4. Does the book have an epilogue?

No. After Chapter 60, the book includes an author's note (Chapter 66) and publisher information (Chapter 67). There is no narrative epilogue or flash-forward.

5. Does Medra ever regain her fae powers?

No. She learns of her royal blood and glimpses heightened abilities during combat (Chapter 41), but by the end, she has not restored her lost powers.

6. Is there a cliffhanger? What is the biggest open question?

Yes. The biggest cliffhanger is Nyxaris's freedom and Medra's forced bond. The conspiracy involving Marcus Drakharrow, Viktor's Sanctum rituals, and the blightborn rebellion are all left wide open for Book 2.

For more on the characters and themes, see our guides: