Magic. The word is as foreign to Mieshka Renaud as space travel—and she's much too preoccupied to think about it. As a new refugee, she finds life in metropolitan Lyarne hard to take. The capitol's mage-powered shield may keep the city safe from the war, but Mieshka still flinches at loud noises, freezes during air raids, and runs at the sight of guns. But magic isn't as foreign to her as she thinks, Lyarne has more secrets than she has ever dreamed, and, one by one, the city's mages are disappearing. Time is running out. With the war threatening the shield, are Mieshka's powers enough to save the city, or is it too little, too late?

It's been six weeks since Allish Statia, former prima ballerina at the Mersetzdeitz Ballet, broke her leg during the last performance of La Sylphide. In that time, she has healed (mostly), relaxed (a lot), and taken advantage of her husband's willingness to order take-out on most weeknights. Then someone broke into her apartment and pointed a gun at her. Using the wind elemental powers few knew she had, she is able to subdue the man. But he is only part of something much bigger—and much more dangerous.