The teyanain are a mysterious, insular tribe who control the major access point between the Northern Kingdom and the southern desert Families. Outsiders know little to nothing about the teyanain, and quite honestly, everyone prefers it that way.

This short story offers a rare glimpse into the world behind the curtain as Cuna, an ambitious young woman, breaks with permitted gender roles and risks her life to become nitta-hei: an elite teyanain assassin-spy. Her choices, and the escalating price tag, have long-ranging consequences that echo into Servants of the Sands, the final book of the Children of the Desert series.

Like the previous release, Fallen City, this story fills in background detail intended to enrich the reader's enjoyment of the overall series.