They blew up the old system. Their alliances, friendships, and commitments. But the war didn't come to an end.

At the Complex, the Lahar and Atsises are prisoners. Being forced to flee her home in the company of a man she believed twelve hours ago was plotting her death is the best thing that's happened to Dyafer in months, but it begs questions. She has a war to wage and a world to save, but how and where and with what army?

She isn't the only mage ready to take a stand, and in Vilimantha, they're pushing the enemy back on one front for once. It comes, though, at a terrible cost. Alia can no longer keep the Mage-Killer secret, and it's agonizing to be a stranger among her peers. Even worse to see the monster reflected in their eyes and worry that they're right. She needs new allies and a new plan, but first, she needs to be sure she's the only Mage-Killer left.

As for Sparud, it's time to turn and face the fact that he joined the traitors' ranks. He didn't get to make a choice, but that can't save him from the consequences. He's there now, in the heart of the great villainy; it's an opportunity if he can figure out how to make use of it.

The Complex set the world on fire, and every mage is tainted by that crime. Can they stop pointing fingers and accept accountability, or will they devour themselves until there's nothing left?