El is about to graduate from fighter pilot training, and it is the greatest achievement of her life. Three days before it's official, Queen Amina offers El a special task: join her crew of elite pilots, assassins, and trackers for a secret mission on a nearby planet. Thrilled at the opportunity, El agrees.

When they arrive on the planet, El keeps her eyes and ears open for any information that might be relevant to the queen—about the mission, the other members of the Queen's Guard, and about the local inhabitants.

But on the team's return trip, when one of the assassins cracks open El's skull and leaves her for dead, El has to wonder—was this truly the queen's plan all along?

This exciting adventure is the next installment in the Rove City series of science fiction fairy tale retellings, and the direct sequel to Midnight Wings.