Emanuela has used her magic to rule the six cities of Occhia absolutely and without mercy toward those who 'disrespect' her, while her enemy Verene controls the resistance, just as they agreed--but now everything is going wrong, the 'omens' are out of control, and since Emanuela has already killed the old rulers who might have explained the deeper secrets of magic, she and Verene will have to work together in order to keep all the cities from collapsing into chaos.