A witch. Small Folk. The casteless.

After abdicating the Serpentine Throne, Mairynne flees from Arashi in search of her father. Gensui Thalaj Northerngale, her only companion and protector, travels at her side. The forest provides cover, but for how long? Her sisters and the council will be searching.

Through the Yubar Forest, across the Central Grasslands, into trading towns, and beyond, the journey winds through Nantai. And for the first time, Mairynne faces the hardships of those who do not belong to the elite caste. The stones she wears draw her onward, the people she meets guide her forward, and the witch reveals a prophecy. She makes unlikely friends, encounters formidable foes, and learns.

But someone or something follows.

Her search leads her to the City by the Sea, demands she leave Nantai’s shores, and guides her toward Syrensea into the true unknown. Another step and another still . . . Mairynne seeks something far more important than duty. Family. But will the price be too high?