In the 33rd Century, a vast empire teeters on the brink of collapse. At the heart of the Concord, unrest is festering. Unrecognized by the Elite, the ruling class, an undercurrent of rebellion is surging through the enslaved Bond class. It’s a threat that could bring down all of civilization, creating a third Dark Age. Lord Alexand, first born of the House of DeKoven Woolf, stands to inherit a vast industrial empire along with a seat on the Directorate, the Concord’s ruling body. But he sees the writing on the wall and realizes that if the Bonds explode into total rebellion, there will be nothing to inherit, and the toll in human suffering will be beyond calculation. He makes a terrible choice then: He chooses to “die” and join the Society of the Phoenix, a clandestine organization whose existence is known to only a few Directorate Lords, who consider membership treason and punishable by death.

The Lord Alexand DeKoven Woolf was born destined to lead the Concord, the Two System's ultimate empire, but to prevent it from imploding into a Third Dark Age, he surrendered his birthright of power to become Alex Ransom, leader of the outlawed Society of the Phoenix‹and in the process, he surrendered the one woman he has ever loved, the Lady Adrien Eliseer. But the Lady Adrien proves her love for Alexand with unexpected and breathtaking courage.

The triumphant conclusion to the magnificent saga of an empire that spans the stars… Jael. The son of a thief, he became the servant of the highest destiny of all… Lady Adrien Eliseer. A woman of fragile beauty and tragic legacy, she hid behind a veil of secrets and carried the burden of an unspeakable dream. Alex Ransom. Once a Lord, he sacrificed everything vital to his life in order to save the Concord, and must now face the ultimate sacrifice . . .