Thirty years ago, civilization collapsed. Few survived. Ten years ago, the aliens arrived…and stayed. One year ago, I killed two men and went a little crazy. Today, the aliens took my brother and I will do anything to get him back. In seventeen-year-old Jax Mitchell's world, humans are nearly extinct and alien settlers have arrived. Until recently, the E’rikon have remained segregated in their city and ignored the few humans who have tried to engage them… but now they have taken Jax’s brother. To rescue him, she forms an uneasy alliance with a teenage E’rikon left stranded in the woods. She agrees to guide him to the city if he sneaks her past the human-proof barrier. Too bad it’s not that simple. Jax, who cannot stand to be touched, finds that she’s drawn to the alien boy with bright green hair and jewel-like scales on his back. And he’s equally affected by her, the courageous redhead with haunted eyes. But she doesn’t know the alien’s true motives and he has no idea that she is much more than she seems. With the aliens and the humans at odds, the connection forming between the two teens has consequences. What started off as a rescue mission sets a chain of events in motion which threatens not only the remaining humans and the growing alien society, but Earth itself.

Though reunited with her brother, and surrounded by Flint, Peter, and her newfound grandfather, Jax Mitchell has never felt more alone. After going to the city to get some much-needed answers from Lir, she is forced to leave him behind and return to the cabin—where enemies from her past await. But there are bigger things at stake than revenge, and she finds herself traveling with some unexpected companions toward a place she hoped to never see again. After being imprisoned—and tortured—on the orders of his uncle, Lir hasn’t seen daylight or linked to anyone in weeks, and the pain and loneliness is almost too much to bear. But Jax’s visit gives him renewed hope—and the strength to continue fighting his uncle's influence over the E'rikon, even when things look hopeless. While Jax and Lir fight separate battles, their missions have more in common than they realize. It’s a race against time to stop men driven by greed and power. But the ones they trust the most might be the very people working against them—and "family" doesn't mean what it used to. Will they recognize their friends from their enemies in time to save the people they love… or will they lose each other in the process?

Unexpected allies. Unexpected betrayals. Unexpected abilities. The last thing Jax Mitchell ever wanted was to be a weapon. Her abilities are unpredictable at best, but with her twin lost, there’s no one else with enough power to take on Jastren and his mental manipulations. She doesn’t have to do it alone, though. Not only can she rely on the unwavering support of Lir, Rym, and her human friends, she also ends up with help from a surprising source. Meanwhile, her twin brother Jace—his body controlled by Jastren, and the shattered pieces of his mind locked inside—has become a monster. The struggle to hold on to what’s left of his humanity has left him weak and more confused than ever before. Every thought, every impulse, and every memory has the potential to destroy him—and everyone else around him. The futures of both the humans and the E’rikon are on the line, but as ulterior motives and political machinations are revealed, it becomes clear that the betrayals aren’t restricted to only one species. Can Jax and Lir get everyone to work together in time to prevent the two species from destroying each other? Can Jace find some measure of redemption for all he has done? And will Jax be able to harness her powers… without losing herself?