To overthrow the Stewards' hold on the kingdoms, Kaianne and Andreiyes strike a tenuous alliance between their people - the Marked and the Carved. Yet uniting the two factions is proving a greater challenge than either of them anticipated. The Carved blame the Marked for centuries of genocide. The Marked are conditioned by the belief that all Carved are heartless and savage. If they cannot put aside their differences, the rebellion is doomed. As more Stewards close in and with the king nearly on his deathbed, their window of opportunity is closing. Meanwhile, Master Rau knows the royal couple is plotting. Torn between his allegiance to his Steward brethren and to his daughter, he struggles with how to proceed. When rumors surface that an old adversary has come out of exile for the benefit of the royals - the very same person who prophesied the Stewards' end - Rau must decide between what he knows is right and what is best for the person he cares for most. Plans are made. Objectives are drawn. But their futures depend on more than their choices. **Please note: This book contains explicit content and dark elements that might be triggering to some. It includes mature scenes of a sexual nature, graphic violence, death, gore, drug references, addiction, infertility, and mental wellness issues.