1he Darkborn aristocracy has rejected magic in favour of science, leaving Lady Telmaine Hearne torn. She must hide her own powers - while calling upon them to protect the Archduke against a magical enemy. On the other side of sunrise, the Lightborn depend on magic for survival. In the courts of the Lightborn, the assassin Floria White Hand is one of the prince's most trusted guards. When the prince dies in darkness, Floria falls under suspicion and she must flee to the Darkborn for protection.