Ethilir, eldest of the kingdoms of men, ruled by the righteous bringers of light and life to the East, has endured since the Revealing as a force of order and civilization. The star of its capital, Sarom, is now troubled. Oracles hint that the sacred gift that burns in the blood of those chosen to sit upon the Sunlit Throne no longer touches that artifact. Something is not as it should be as forces move in the shadows of a city that boasts such brilliant lights.

Marred and exiled from her homeland, Vassa Ithrennyn is used to solitary wandering. Her mask hides memories as much as marks and her hidden heritage spells danger for all who approach. However isolated she might prefer to be, a simple rescue in the Sea of Sand pulls her into a web of danger spun by those with designs on the power of the Sunlit Throne. Protecting the young fire-speaker she saved is a task more dangerous than she could have ever expected, but cunning and gifted with ancient magic, perhaps she can save Seben from them...and herself.