In Khya's world, every breath is a battle.

On the isolated desert island of Shiara, dying young is inevitable. Only the clan of Sagen sy Itagami can offer protection against enemies and elements. That is why the safety of the clan comes before one's self, and why Khya is a warrior above all else. But when obeying orders could cost her brother his life, her once safe home becomes a deadly trap.

The council she hoped to join has betrayed her, and their secrets, hundreds of years deep, reach around a world she's never seen. Only Tessen, her lifelong rival and the boy who challenges her at every turn, is willing to help her.

To save her brother's life and her island home, her only choice is to trust someone she once considered an enemy, turn against her clan—a betrayal and a death sentence—and go on the run.