Wynne Ignitus has a secret she's been keeping from the children she rescued from genetic experimentation.Rayne has a secret that doesn't stop the longing she feels for her reluctant ally.Pyre has a secret that keeps him from what he most desires.Only the desperate would seek the aid of the reclusive Fire Elemental up on the mountain, but Rayne would do anything to help her sister. However, once she persuades him to return to the village with her, it's to find her sister, and the rest of the children, gone.Who has taken the children, and why? And why would the Mother send them on a quest to seek the aid of the mysterious Illezie, a race they'd never heard of? Together Rayne and Pyre must find the answers to these questions before time runs out . . . for everyone.