In the aftermath of Mireea's destruction, Zaifyr and other survivors arrive at the gates of the Keeper's city of Yeflam seeking asylum. But there is a greater threat still facing them. A new child god has emerged and will do anything to destroy those she feels threaten her power. Zaifyr has warned the head of the Keeper's conclave about the danger she poses. But while the survivor's argue about the risks ahead, priests of the new god have already begun to enter Yeflam ...Meanwhile, Ayae finds herself entangled in the plots of Muriel Wagan. The newly titled Lady of the Ghosts has important goals. She wants to gain enough leverage to both keep her people safe and prepare for the war she knows is coming. Ayae finds that politics can be even more dangerous than the sword. Then, on the other side of the world, Baron Bueralan Le returns home. Around his neck he carries a terrible cargo: the soul of a dead man. In the company of the duplicitous cartographer - Samuel Orlan - the two are forced to confront the truth about the path the new god has set them upon. For they are not the only newcomers on the continent of Ooila. The man of innocence has arrived - and this will change everything.