Saeli, once an aspiring Silver Mantle at the qi-training institute of Aschamon, is now an exile in her own city.

She spends her days hidden, training with Rafel—Crimson Cowl, enemy, visionary—learning the form that will take them to the powerful anhela who'll eliminate their world's gods...or so they hope. But to create such a complex form, Saeli needs an anchor: a glass object capable of holding qi weaves, which she and Rafel will have to steal.

Despite their need to act as a team, Rafel still refuses to bring Saeli into his full confidence, and Saeli fears he may still be hiding aspects of his grand plan. Worse, a rival Crimson cell has moved into the city, and its ras, Grisen, seems determined to thwart Rafel's every move. If he has to murder Saeli to accomplish that, so be it.

As obstacles mount and Rafel's glass-stealing schemes continually fail, Saeli's chances of successfully dancing Rafel's bridge form look bleak. If she's captured—by Grisen or Aschamon—she knows everything she's sacrificed for Rafel's plan will have been in vain.

She is determined not to fail.