| Name | Catriona “Cat” Cordella |
|---|---|
| Age | 22 ( Iron Flame ) |
| Species | Human |
| Status | Alive |
| Quadrant | Fliers Branch, Riders Quadrant, Basgiath War College |
| Rank/Title | Cadet; Viscount’s niece |
| Gryphon Gift | Emotion Heightening |
| Eye Color | Brown |
| Hair Color | Black |
| Gryphon Bond | Kiralair |
| Family | Syrena Cordella (sister), King Tecarus (uncle), Drake Cordella (cousin) |
| Love Interests | Xaden Riorson (ex-betrothed), Trager Karis † |
| Appears in | Iron Flame (2023), Onyx Storm (2025) |
Biography
Catriona “Cat” Cordella is a Poromish gryphon flier, the younger sister of Syrena Cordella, and the niece of King Tecarus. She is bonded to the gryphon Kiralair and possesses the gift of emotion heightening, which allows her to amplify feelings that already exist in the people around her. Cat is introduced in Iron Flame as Xaden Riorson’s former betrothed, making her one of Violet Sorrengail’s most immediate rivals after the fliers come to Aretia.
Before joining the riders at Basgiath, Cat trained at Cliffsbane Flight Academy and belonged to the world of Poromish nobility and gryphon fliers. Her connection to Tecarus and Syrena places her close to Poromiel’s political power, and her former betrothal to Xaden was arranged for political advantage rather than love. Although the engagement ended before the events of Fourth Wing, Cat still sees the broken arrangement as a lost path to power, security, and possibly a crown.
Cat’s first major role in Iron Flame comes when Violet, Xaden, Brennan, and Mira travel to Cordyn to negotiate with Tecarus for the luminary. Cat quickly makes her presence known, using pointed remarks and subtle emotional manipulation to unsettle Violet. Her comments about Xaden are designed to provoke jealousy, insecurity, and doubt, especially because her gift can magnify whatever Violet already feels.
After the fall of Cliffsbane and the agreement with Tecarus, Cat relocates with other fliers to Aretia. The move forces riders and fliers into close contact, even though both groups distrust each other. Cat initially worsens the tension, especially when she clashes with Violet and refuses to make the integration easy. Her grief and anger after Luella’s death deepen that conflict, and she blames Violet for failing to save her.
The rivalry between Cat and Violet reaches its peak when Cat challenges Violet. During the fight, Cat repeatedly taunts her about Xaden and their former relationship, using both words and emotional pressure to weaken Violet’s control. Violet eventually gains the upper hand and nearly chokes Cat to death before stopping. The fight marks one of the sharpest moments in their rivalry, but it also begins to expose Cat’s determination, pride, and refusal to submit.
As the riders and fliers are forced to work together, Cat slowly becomes part of Violet’s wider squad structure. She remains difficult, sharp-tongued, and proud, but she also begins to show loyalty to her own people and a willingness to cooperate when survival requires it. Her role shifts from antagonist to uneasy ally as the war against the venin and wyvern becomes more urgent than personal resentment.
In Onyx Storm, Cat’s character develops further as she joins the quest squad and spends more time working directly with Violet, Xaden, and their allies. The forced closeness strips away some of the rivalry that defined her earlier role. Cat begins to show more vulnerability, especially through her relationship with Trager Karis, a fellow flier. Their bond reveals a softer and more emotionally open side of her than Violet saw at first.
Trager’s death becomes a major turning point for Cat. The loss affects her deeply and changes how others see her, making it clear that beneath her ambition, pride, and sharpness, she is capable of genuine love and grief. By this point, Cat is no longer simply Xaden’s ex-betrothed or Violet’s rival. She becomes a complicated ally whose loyalty, pain, and political importance all shape her place in the Revolution.
Physical Description
Body & Build
- Lithe build
- At least five inches taller than Violet Sorrengail
- Elegant and physically striking, with the bearing of someone raised around power and status
- Shares some physical similarities with her older sister, Syrena Cordella
Hair
- Glossy black hair
- Usually worn in a braid over one shoulder
Eyes & Skin
- Brown eyes
- Eyes slightly larger than Syrena’s
- High cheekbones
- Fair skin and flawless symmetry
- Violet describes her beauty as devastating up close
Clothing & Gear
- Wears the dark brown flight leathers of the gryphon fliers
- Associated with the elegant but dangerous presence of a trained flier
- Often uses her appearance, posture, and confidence as part of her social power
Personality
Catriona is ambitious, proud, sharp-tongued, and emotionally perceptive. She understands how to read people and often uses that knowledge to provoke the exact reaction she wants. Because her gift can heighten existing emotions, Cat has become skilled at planting doubt, jealousy, anger, or insecurity before amplifying those feelings with magic.
At first, Cat appears ruthless and deliberately cruel, especially toward Violet. She targets Violet’s insecurities about Xaden and repeatedly uses their former betrothal as a weapon. Her behavior makes her seem petty on the surface, but her own words reveal that her motivations are more political than romantic. For Cat, Xaden represents power, protection, and a path toward the future she believes she deserves.
Cat is also intensely loyal to the fliers. She protects her own people, mourns their losses, and does not trust riders easily after years of political and military tension between Navarre and Poromiel. Her anger after Luella’s death shows how fiercely she feels responsibility and grief, even when she expresses those emotions through blame and hostility.
Despite her flaws, Cat is not one-dimensional. She is clever, brave, determined, and difficult to intimidate. Even when Violet overpowers her during their challenge, Cat refuses to submit easily. Her pride can make her reckless, but it also gives her a strong survival instinct and the ability to stand her ground in dangerous situations.
By Onyx Storm, Cat shows more emotional depth. Her bond with Trager reveals tenderness and vulnerability, while her growing cooperation with Violet shows that she is capable of change. She remains bold and abrasive, but she becomes less defined by rivalry and more by grief, loyalty, and the difficult choices of war.
Powers
Lesser Magic
Through her bond with Kiralair, Catriona can perform lesser magic like other gryphon fliers. This includes unlocking and locking doors without touching them, moving with preternatural speed, manipulating mage lights, powering ink pens, and placing runes.
As a trained flier, Cat also uses lesser magic in combination with runes, strategy, and aerial training. Her magical abilities are not identical to a dragon rider’s signet, but they make her a capable and dangerous opponent, especially when combined with her gryphon’s gift.
Gryphon’s Gift
Emotion Heightening: Kiralair grants Catriona the ability to heighten the emotions of those around her. She cannot create new emotions, change someone’s feelings completely, or force a person to feel something that is not already present. Instead, she amplifies what already exists, such as fear, anger, jealousy, insecurity, desire, or grief.
This limitation makes Cat’s psychological skill especially important. To use her gift effectively, she often speaks or acts in ways that create the emotional opening she needs. Once the feeling exists, she can intensify it, making her gift dangerous in personal confrontations, negotiations, sparring matches, and moments of emotional stress.
Her gift is considered exceptionally strong, but it has weaknesses. It becomes weaker with distance and high elevation, is blocked by Navarre’s wards, and can be countered by a specific rune. These limits matter because Cat’s power depends on proximity, emotional awareness, and the right conditions.
Abilities
Emotional Manipulation
Cat is highly skilled at emotional manipulation. Because her gift cannot create emotions from nothing, she relies on observation, timing, and carefully chosen words to spark the feelings she wants to heighten. This makes her especially effective against people who are already afraid, jealous, insecure, angry, or grieving.
Runes
Cat is good with runes and often works with rune-related tasks. Her skill with runes reflects the broader training of the fliers and gives her practical value beyond her emotional gift.
Aerial Training
As a gryphon flier trained at Cliffsbane Flight Academy, Cat is trained for aerial movement, formation work, and combat alongside her gryphon. Her bond with Kiralair makes her part of a fighting tradition very different from Navarre’s dragon riders.
Combat
Cat is capable in physical combat and does not back down from confrontation. Her challenge against Violet shows her willingness to fight directly, even against someone with a powerful signet. She is persistent, aggressive, and difficult to intimidate.
Politics
Because of her connection to Tecarus, Syrena, and the Poromish royal line, Cat understands political power and status. Her former betrothal to Xaden was tied to political advantage, and her ambitions are shaped by the possibility of influence, protection, and a future crown.
Relationships
| Xaden Riorson | Catriona was once betrothed to Xaden Riorson in a political arrangement made between powerful families. Their relationship lasted for nine months before Xaden ended it, citing incompatibility. Cat later continues to pursue the idea of being tied to Xaden, not simply because of romance, but because he represents power, political security, and a path toward the crown she wants. Her attempts to provoke Violet often center on Xaden and their former relationship. |
|---|---|
| Violet Sorrengail | Cat and Violet begin as rivals. Cat sees Violet as the person standing between her and the future she wanted with Xaden, while Violet is unsettled by Cat’s former betrothal to him. Cat repeatedly targets Violet’s insecurities and uses her gift to intensify them. Their conflict peaks during their challenge, but as they are forced to work together, their relationship slowly shifts from open hostility toward uneasy cooperation and eventual respect. |
| Syrena Cordella | Syrena Cordella is Cat’s older sister and an important figure in her life. Both sisters are connected to Poromiel’s political and military world, and both become involved in the alliance between fliers and riders. Cat’s loyalty to Syrena and their shared people is one of the reasons she is so protective of the fliers. |
| King Tecarus | Tecarus is Cat’s uncle and one of the most powerful figures connected to her family. Through him, Cat is tied to Poromish nobility, political bargaining, and the complicated negotiations between Poromiel, Aretia, and Navarre. Her connection to Tecarus also gives her status beyond her role as a flier. |
| Maren Zina | Maren is Cat’s best friend and squadmate. Their bond shows Cat’s loyalty to other fliers and gives her a softer connection outside her rivalry with Violet and history with Xaden. |
| Trager Karis | Cat later forms a genuine romantic relationship with Trager Karis, another flier. Unlike her political betrothal to Xaden, her relationship with Trager is more emotionally sincere. His death deeply affects her and reveals a vulnerable side of Cat that had been hidden beneath her ambition, pride, and sharpness. |
Gryphon
Catriona Cordella is bonded to Kiralair, a powerful gryphon with glossy feathers and a commanding presence. Through this bond, Cat channels lesser magic and receives her unique gift of emotion heightening, allowing her to amplify the feelings of those around her.
Kiralair’s gift makes Cat especially dangerous in emotionally charged situations. The bond gives her both magical strength and status among the fliers, connecting her personal ambition to the broader power of Poromiel’s gryphon riders.
