Four years of high school at the Academy were rife with secrets, drama, and danger. Now, heading into a college program that has her at the main campus and abroad, Layla wonders what to expect as she heads back out to the “real” world. She might be distanced from some of the headaches of being at the Academy, but how will she fit outside of it? From the get-go, she’s challenged with new dilemmas. She meets an elf from the Aquine sect, a guy who seems way too intrigued with her powers. Flynn grumbles about a long-distance relationship. Wolf goes AWOL instead of accompanying her at campus. And when she returns to the Academy for clinicals in the Menagerie, news of hacked security files sets everyone on edge. On top of it all, Layla’s firm in her promise to keep her family’s gemstone—a rare neala—safe until the council understands how it works. Yet as she faces complicating obligations, is the challenge she’s accepted too large to handle?