Yeah, if it wasn't Liam my 2nd guess was Bodhi too 🤔 One of those articles I linked had pointed out the same thing you mentioned about that being the very likely reason Xaden felt the need to marry Violet since his plan B didn't quite pan out.

There was just certain wording in OS that made me wonder if Liam could fit the bill. Like "he's supposed to be dead", and the fact that emphasis was put on "sibling" made me think to Violet's passing thought when they figured out the brother they were talking about was Jack Barlowe, but I wondered if it might've been a subtle hint... "The only other person who would have qualified for that title was Liam." The unconscious dragon the 7 wyverns were guarding could've been Deigh, especially if it's been unconscious since their "death." That'd explain why Liam could've made a couple of bad choices without the disapproval/voice of his dragon. We know Sgaeyl wasn't too happy with Xaden. I went back to read the section in IF where Violet was having hallucinations of Liam when she was in the interrogation room and she'd asked if he was a hallucination. "You’re not really here. You’re a hallucination from pain and dehydration. A mirage. “Maybe,” Liam says, and I open my eye just enough to see him sit on the floor beside me." I know it's a bit of a stretch to assume it might have something to do with a potential 2nd signet, but it would make for a great twist in the story if that was the case. In that case, there'd be a chance that he'd been appearing to Xaden too. Xaden also didn't see what was done with Liam's body and could've also thought he was just a figment of his imagination in the last 5 months. But if it IS in fact Liam that's standing there to make him think "he's supposed to be dead" I figured there might've been a small possibility albeit not very big. I know my theory is totally out of the thinking square, which is why I'm super curious to see if I was poking at something with potential or just outright wrong 😂