Siblings Tell and Wren barely escaped the treacherous city of Halfway with their lives, two new friends, and an unconscious sorcerer. With a massive bounty on their heads if they ever return, Tell and Wren have no choice but to return to their village...despite the punishment surely awaiting them for venturing outside their icy mountain home.

But treacherous power plays brew amongst the Villagers, and our heroes once again find themselves in the middle of a civil war, one that takes an almost deadly toll on the siblings. It also reveals an astonishing secret about Wren: she has magic, powerful magic. This startling revelation, combined with disturbing dreams that plague Rumi, drag the four back into Halfway, the very place they're forbidden from entering upon penalty of death.