A crystal shard of almost insurmountable power. An ancient being trapped in a black mask. And an intergalactic war that unveils a family’s dark secret. When she was young, Lendelam believed she’d be the heroine who would end the tyranny against those who shared her interspecific bloodline. To accomplish that, she had to drain her ancestor’s essence from six crystal shards that were spread throughout the galaxy. However, after a botched mission led to the deaths of her friends, her pipe dream was soon forgotten. Years later, Lendelam is a successful freelance portal maker, and a happy wife and mother. But when she is contacted by the king of Crestahn to conjure a portal near one of the crystal shards she had neglected to deplete, her past comes barreling back to haunt her. The king wants to use the essence as a weapon that could potentially end the war, but she refuses to help him kill billions in a battle she wants no part of. Accustomed to getting his way, the king forces her hand, and heartbroken, Lendelam makes the hardest decision of her life.

A winter storm is coming. For several years, Sha’el’s tribe has struggled to harvest enough food to last throughout the cold season. But now, they barely have enough to last the next few weeks. If they don’t find another settlement soon, they’ll all starve. Things look bleak for the desperate group until Sha’el spots a light—a much-needed glimmer of hope—at the end of a very dark tunnel. Unfortunately, the light lands them in the hands of a greedy and deceitful king, and they’re forced to fight for their freedom or fall prey to his predatory whims.