When Rafen was four, the Tarhians branded him with three little numbers: 237. Forced to work in the coal mine with King Talmon's other slaves, Rafen became just another nameless entity. But at age seven, he dreamed he would receive the feather of a phoenix–and the dream changed his life.By the time he is twelve there are only four years left until King Talmon's master Lashki Mirah makes Rafen his personal slave. If Rafen does not escape soon, he never will. Then King Talmon captures the princess Etana Calista Selson, who is destined to become queen of Siana. Lashki Mirah has long had designs on the Sianian throne and he is planning the murder of both the king and Etana his heir. Rafen learns that if he frees Etana from the Tarhian palace, she may ask her father the king to rescue Rafen from Talmon in return.Now everything depends on Etana reaching her father and bringing him to Tarhia to release Rafen. But Rafen's execution is in seven days and it looks like the only miracle he will see in that time is the revelation of what his name means–and why people want to kill him.