An earth-like world of high-tech humans faces the reality that their world is not as safe as they thought it was. Five people are thrown together to quietly get to the bottom of an unfathomable mana event that must stay quiet. If the population of Terath becomes aware of the truth, it will spark a civil war. That war would pit the majority of the population against the powerful minority with the ability to harness and manipulate mana. The resulting cataclysm would decimate the population and tear apart the foundation of society. The five people chosen for this must reconsider everything they thought they knew about mana, even as they learn to trust one another’s abilities. They must embrace everything they never wanted in order to prevent the devastation of their world. One of them will be forever changed. Love will be denied, badassery will be unleashed, and Terath will never be the same. Even success comes at a price.

A new manahi. A new military. A famous bard who suddenly resurfaces after a decade of hiding. A lot of changes have taken place on Terath, and an ecological crisis has raised tensions to the breaking point. Kassimeigh and Arc must work with Luc and the scientists in the Capital to determine whether the discovery is a threat to the planet. Each discovery unspools more questions, as they question the nature of mana and what it means to Terath. At the same time, they must try to calm an increasingly nervous population. Will and Izzy offer their help in that regard, but the newly-formed Guard has never been called into action before. Meanwhile, Kassimeigh must deal with a shocking change in her own circumstances, which forces her to rethink her place in the world. Life, death, mana, and chaos rival one another for supremacy. How can Kassimeigh help protect the world when she has no idea where she belongs in it?

This book is currently out of print. A decade of living in hiding ends. Élan Gray confronts her fears in order to investigate a mysterious substance that has been killing people. She must use her connections in Terath’s bardic underbelly to find out what it is and who is making it. As a newly-inducted shiv elder, Kassimeigh has a job to do and a score to settle. She’ll see justice done in her own way, with no one to tell her otherwise. It’s not the first time she’s had to reinvent herself, and she’s amassed a unique group of friends who will back her every step of the way. Together they go on a journey that will reveal who their true friends and enemies are, and how far some people will go to get what they want.