Marked Ones are the most feared creatures in the Realm of Evaria; twisted abominations of man and beast who masquerade as everyday people. The inhabitants of Evaria have long known that the only good Marked One is a dead Marked One. That is unless you are the Marked One in question. Selene has hidden her dark gift for most of her life, working hard as a Rider to support her mother. Life is quiet in her small town and the money she makes running dangerous errands is just enough to get by. One errand is much like the next until her secret is discovered by a particularly nasty Praecyr named Ranur. The discovery of the dark swirl of lines on her body is a death sentence that has her headed to the Sending Tree as a warning to her kind. By using a power that she has long been forbidden to touch she manages to escape her captors, only to find herself alone in a world that despises her. Selene’s flight takes her to the steps of King Graelen’s castle, the ruler of Evaria. Her past as a Rider and natural talent with a sword make her an excellent candidate for Graelen’s coveted elite guard, the Aranth. The offer of a new life and a chance to someday avenge those who tried to kill her are more than she can resist. She joins their ranks, but quickly learns that life as an Aranth is not all it seems. Secrets are thick in the castle, and Selene finds herself at the center of a series of events that will either save the Realm of Evaria or tear it apart.