Long have the Scions maintained the balance of peace in Ashureen. Bound by prophecy and ancient elemental blades, the five houses stand against the curse of undeath that grips the land.

Born of a line of gifted seers, Imiraj Undari awaits her ascension as queen and the next Scion of Earth. A reluctant but deeply intuitive empath, Imiraj has always yearned for freedom beyond the confines of palace life. But a deathbed confession sets her on a dangerous course: find the man her mother betrayed.

Aereth Mordyn, the Scion of Air and liege lord of the west, vanished long ago. In his absence and in the wake of a devastating war, the tenuous accord among the ruling houses begins to fray. Disguised as a commoner, Imiraj must venture into hostile lands to find him, but one rash decision changes everything. A silver signet and a forbidden blood ritual may guide her to the man she seeks, but black magic has its price. As political tensions mount, Imiraj must find the missing scion to restore balance to the realm, for should she fail—the blood price is death.