Divided and leaderless, Esther's friends scour Morgarai for any answers about the Disruptors, the devastating relic weapons so coveted by the Dark Magi. Vayne leads the Valet into the dreaded City of Odd, a place ruled over by an ancient evil, to find the only person living when the stones were forged. Meanwhile, Leiyara, alone and afraid, teams up with Emon on an impossible gambit to heal the rift between the Agish and Myrian people, but old enemies and new threats lie in wait for them.

Halfway across the world and hunted by her old order, Esther Triad seeks out the one man who can clear her name. However, in her search for him, the fugitive Peacekeeper discovers a desert town in the stranglehold of Central Transit. Her goals align with a band of outlaws intent on defying the corporate megastructure, but Esther is about to learn just what people will do for a few royals more.