More than a thousand years ago, the king of Appernysia banished the Rayders to the Exile. The Beholders, men with the ability to see and harness the world's energy, were slaughtered, and the Second Age began without magic. Now, ruthless Rayder scouts are searching Appernysia for a Beholder to lead their people to victory against the Appernysian king. When Rayders come to Pree, twins Lon and Mellai Marcs are caught in the middle of an ancient conflict. Seventeen-year-old Lon discovers he is a Beholder—the first of the Second Age—and the one the Rayders are searching for. Lon must learn to use his power before it kills him, but the only person who can help him is deep within Rayder territory. He must decide if keeping himself alive is incentive enough to betray his family, his king, and the woman he loves by joining the enemy.