The final Scimitar Seas novel in the award-winning series! Between the devil and the deep blue sea... The expedition to Akrotia has succeeded; Cynthia's baby is safe. But she and Feldrin both know that their trials are not over. The emperor demands answers for the destruction of his ships and deaths of his soldiers. Plume Isle has been ransacked by pirates, Dura has been captured by cannibals, and Camilla is acting like a woman possessed. And Edan, whose desire for revenge fuels the awakened city of Akrotia, is coming to burn them all.Cynthia's bargain with the emperor is simple: she will stop Edan and Akrotia if he will give back all that she holds dear. But even with the aid of the entire imperial navy and a nation of merfolk, she does not know if she can destroy Akrotia. For to destroy Akrotia is to murder Edan, the poor scared boy who saved her son.