They thought the Darkmage's cause had died. They were wrong. Lira Astor has been rotting in prison for over two years. The passage of time has only reinforced her determination to be free of her cell and wreak a trail of destruction on those who put her there. No longer avoiding her name, Lira Astor has accepted her heritage. When a shocking disappearance sends old allies looking for Lira's help, she uses them to get what she wants. Freedom. A chance to burn Lucinda and the Shadowcouncil to ashes. Yet vengeance means more than just relying on those who once betrayed her. Lira will be faced with an enemy more powerful than she could ever have imagined. To survive, the heir to the Darkmage will be faced with a choice. Take on her grandfather's mantle, for real this time. Or lose the thing she loves most in this world.