Sometimes, love arrives without any warning, to be snatched away just as unexpectedly Xavier Drake is happiest when he can forget his human nature and embrace his true identity. But disturbing rumors circulating amongst the dragons of Civitas require Xavier to travel to the city with his grandparents, Aaron and Keira, to investigate their source. A quick resolution will mean that he can return to his beloved mountains without spending too much time within the suffocating confines of Civitas, but a chance encounter with Evelyn Talbot sets his plans awry and places him on the path that will ultimately lead to destruction and death.