In a war of empires and hearts, there are no winners. Only survivors. Defeated...With the capital in ruins, the Forwyn and their allies are forced to flee. Lo will risk anything to protect the ones she has left, but her people's numbers and hope are dwindling. Broken...Promises have been broken and loyalties severed. Jalie determines to slay her new captors...even the one she loves. And Kovi finds he must make his final choice between his duty as a soldier and his duty to his heart. Lost...Meanwhile, Caesiem grapples with the fact that he was merely a weapon forged to do Teramyl's bidding. He and Lo must navigate through both the ties that bind them and the obstacles that push them apart. Desperate...As the four fight for their people, their hearts, and their lives, they'll face the Queen of Death's conniving power and their own failures. Save the empire...or die trying.