"You will move through this world as a wraith..." In the aftermath of the Cygnaran civil war, warcaster Allister Caine has become a fugitive, hiding out in a backwater town where little ever happens. Until the bodies start piling up, and Cain is accused of murder. And Caine can't be entirely sure he's innocent. With only a cryptic riddle whispered in his ear, a mysterious rune tattooed on his arm, and an unusual little girl by his side, Caine will need to stay one step ahead of the elite squad of hunters known as the Black 13th. As they close in, bent on bringing him to justice for crimes he might not have committed, Caine must unravel why everyone he's ever known is suddenly marked for death...and keep from becoming his own final victim.