A disgraced warrior embarks upon a simple mission, to find that his path could lead to salvation. Or to a final reckoning of his crimes.
When Termaris and his mercenaries are hired to bring an old magician and his niece to safety, he knows the pay for this simple mission is just too good. He accepts, running from the approaching war and a past he cannot face. He meets Ethné, a girl frustrated by a haphazard magical talent. Attacked by a demon-possessed youth, they realise that the mission is more than it appeared. Their attackers were sent by the Temple of Shirith-Kah, worshippers of darkness whose horde invades Arkavia.
Drawn into a gambit for the fate of nations, they carry a holy vial south to the Arzantine Empire in search of alliance. But their plan is thrown into chaos when they are falsely accused of a noble’s murder. Ethné finds Belsarial, a secretive mentor who teaches her to harness her unique talent. Termaris is thrust into the ill-fitting role of responsible hero, one of the few to save any hope of alliance. But he is no good at being a hero or making wise choices. He fears the gods have cursed him. Because last time, when he was needed most, his decisions destroyed his holy order and he ran from battle, leaving them for dead.