Captain Briar Rose has traveled from one end of the Ohio and Erie Canal to the other, searching for answers. Some she found, while others remain frustratingly elusive, but she doesn’t have time to continue the search. Ferromancers are gathering in her hometown, anxious to hear her response to Solon’s ultimatum: use Grayson to cure their ailing race, or see her hometown destroyed. They won’t be happy when she refuses to sacrifice Grayson, but curing them isn’t the only way to stop them. Though her magic seems ferra, Briar’s ability hails from the Scourge, the executioners of the ferromancer world. Should she join their ranks and put that ability to use? Her uncle Liam thinks so—as do the dozens of Scourge he’s gathered. They want her to lead them into battle. With no easy choices, Briar is left with one hope: Grayson. Legends claim that together, their unique talents can save his race, but so far, their experiments have ended in failure. With time running out, and a new threat complicating an already complicated situation, Briar must make her choice. Will she be the savior of the ferromancer race, or the harbinger of its destruction?