James thought he'd found his place in this strange new world. Then he watched the man who took him in murdered on a nameless road, powerless as the Northlanders dragged him away. Starved and broken in ancient mountain ruins, James and the other prisoners dig for something their captors won't name. When Thorgrim's forces finally shatter their prison, freedom brings a bitter truth: he's alone again, adrift in a world that seems determined to take everything he cares about. By chance, he meets Lady Maren, a trade broker who offers him work as her assistant. In the weeks following Dayne's death, James glimpses the possibility of purpose, of belonging somewhere again. But in the shadows of her quarter, a conspiracy stirs. From the tallest towers to the darkest corners of Storhold, plans are being made. Ancient artifacts are moving through the city. Something is being prepared for. As the net closes around them, James must decide once again who he wants to be, and whether he's strong enough to protect what little he has left. Before it's too late.