When Christianity is banned in the United States, those Christians who refuse to renounce their faith are arrested and imprisoned. To avoid arrest, some go into hiding. They are known as subversives, and they are ruthlessly hunted by soldiers of the government's Task Force. Since the night of her parent’s arrest, Gemma Alcott has been hiding in an abandoned coal mine with a group of subversives. She’s found a home—and someone to love—but she's never forgotten the love she left behind. Taylor Nolan, a young Task Force officer, believes wholeheartedly in his mission and in the danger posed by subversives. But when his first love, Gemma, is captured by a rogue Task Force unit, his loyalties are put to the test. Facing interrogation and possible death, Gemma must summon the strength—and faith—to protect her friends, no matter the cost. And Taylor must decide if he’s fighting against evil…or for it.

Six months after their narrow escape from the Task Force, Gemma Alcott and her subversive friends—including her soldier boyfriend, Taylor—believe they’ve found safety at an isolated camp located deep within the Pennsylvania wilderness. Known as the Sanctuary, this hideout for persecuted Christians is supplied by elderly bookstore owner Letty Webb and her network of sympathizers in the nearby town of Winter’s Dam. The camp is beautiful and idyllic, and Gemma falls asleep every night in the protection of Taylor’s arms. But no matter how safe she feels, she cannot break free from the ghosts of her past—including Gavin, the ex-boyfriend whose heart she broke, and Mullen, the redheaded soldier who haunts her nightmares. When the Task Force puts Winter’s Dam on lockdown to root out the sympathizers, a small group from the Sanctuary—headed up by Gemma and Taylor—prepares to fight. They work out a plan to infiltrate the town and rescue Letty and the others. But the rescue attempt goes terribly wrong, setting in motion a devastating series of events which could endanger not only Gemma and her friends, but the Sanctuary itself. Stripped of everything she loves, Gemma must stop hiding and confront the Task Force—and the ghosts that haunt her—once and for all. And she must put her faith in the only Sanctuary that can never be destroyed.

After the devastating loss of the Sanctuary—and of her love, Taylor Nolan—Gemma Alcott settles in Winter’s Dam and takes up Letty Webb’s mantle, receiving weary subversives at the bookstore and offering them safety. The role gives her a purpose and a reason to get up every morning, but no matter how many people she saves, she can never bring back the people she’s lost. Or can she? When unknown assailants raid the bookstore in the middle of the night, capturing Gemma and her friends, she expects to be dragged to a detention center. But the kidnappers aren’t with the Task Force. They are former soldiers and police officers, and they’re part of a growing rebellion. Six months earlier, when Gemma hijacked the renouncements and made her bold declaration to the world, she planted the seeds of a revolution. And this rebel group has one mission: To liberate the detention centers. But when Elevation Ministry Center is bombed and megachurch Pastor David Ogden is shot, Gemma becomes the prime suspect in the attack. With the Task Force closing in on her, and powerful forces behind the scenes working to destroy the rebellion in its infancy, Gemma must decide how much she’s willing to sacrifice for freedom. Because all freedom comes at a cost.