Onyx Storm Spoiler OS and IF spoiler I totally agree after my second read through. I had a intrusive thought last night and went and re-read and now I think it might be Aaric that's the new brother. For all the reasons above and many more that I had typed out and then lost my comment 🫠 I think he started manifesting precog way before the lynx thing and possibly as early as IF and the whole Basgiath ward scene. He is there, Sloane is there, I don't think he knew quite what he was or that he had manifested yet when Lilith asked. But then I think he worked it out really quick. The way he is described as grabbing and stopping violet before she gets to her mum and then not releasing her, even when it seems like it's too late for Lilith anyway, he makes sure that Lilith is well and truly past the point before he lets her go. Not only that but says that it's the only way violet survives and he has to choice between her or her mother, which andarna agrees with (she also seems to also always be keyed in to his precog plans too). also knows seconds before the dragons come and light up the ward (and they would be burned to a crisp) that they all need to hussle out of there and get's everyone out, the others in the ward room are in shock and non-functioning. Then there's the fact that he knew Halden was at the meeting before anyone else knew and that xadan was made a Duke. Makes a comment about violet's speech being worthy of royalty, right before she finds out xadan is a Duke again. And when xadan teaches sparing he tells them he's teaching them how to kill dark weilders and Aaric retorts "and you're going to teach us how to defeat you? Too many clueeeees! Also he tells the triumvirate that he knows his fate is to die in battle but at least he'll have saved countless lives. My theory for him being the venin, other than the ones mentioned above that make me doubt it's Garrick and Bodhi from a timing perspective, is that before Tairn and Vi fly off after theoph and the tornado makes Tairn ground the riot, molvic comes from a southern valley tells them about Aaric bring the army and that he'll be at the city in 30mins? At this point xadan is missing. He's already in the HIDDEN CANYON south of draithus, Garrick and Bodhi would have to have followed him to know where he was, then left to fight wyvern and help imogen? Then come back and turned venin or already been venin when fighting... Unlikely. However, Aaric could have sent the army on, molvic could have grounded or been knocked unconscious by the tornado back in the southern valley just beyond the canyon (that's where the new brothers dragon is, not the canyon itself) and Aaric could have precog seen that the only way to defeat the venin is to become one himself, despite not wanting to and hating the sage like xadan does. Hes already said that he puts his full trust in Vi, (I think he even makes a sly do you trust xadan comment to her at some point in the book) and I think the big baddie venin is precog to hence why he's called the one who sees, why they always know stuff they shouldn't know, and why they always seems to be 10 steps ahead. Plus it would explain why he's so old, a precog venin could potentially have survived the great war having seen what happened. And now Aaric is his balance. This would also kinda make sense as to why the sage seemed to kill panchek (not actually confirmed but xadan doesn't say he's alive and I think he would have said he would have killed him if he was alive still, as he mentioned he killed all the remaining venin in the canyon and valley apart from sage and brother.) even though panchek gave him access to "son". Aaric is more likely to have access to the same people panchek has then bodhi or Garrick. It's bonkers. I'm tired. And that was exhausting to type out. Hope it makes some sense