Months after the Battle of the Tower a semblance of peace has settled over Leirianor; the rebellion against Queen Arabella has been routed and the traitors punished. But peace is brittle, and war is a powder keg near a crackling flame.

Hannah Khoren doesn't want a war, despite the Legend of the Heirs pointing towards its inevitability. In order to avoid it, she tries to become closer to Arabella, her fated enemy, to mend the strong bond that once united them.

Meanwhile, Leirianor faces a new threat: strange disappearances have been occurring all over the country in relation to the Jewel of the Seas, a powerful relic believed to have belonged to one of the Great Ladies of old. If they work together, Hannah and Arabella can stop the Jewel from falling into the wrong hands, and save Leirianor from disaster.

But an alliance will push Hannah closer towards the Throne of Bone. Will she be able to keep resisting the lure of power, or will it corrupt her as well?