Banished from his country, Rafen—the Fourth Runi and rightful ruler of his homeland, Siana—begins to build an army overseas. Yet when an old wound develops into something more sinister, he realizes he must act quickly ... or die. In a race against time, Rafen is forced to travel to Tarhia and into the inner courts of his nemesis, the Lashki Mirah, to discover the secret of freeing himself from an accursed spreading skin disease before it is too late. In the meantime, the demons of Nazt, who inspire the Lashki in all he does, wait hungrily for the Fourth Runi's Demise.