After escaping the fall of Rossarb, Princess Catherine leads a group of survivors to the arid lands of the Northern Plateau. They quickly encounter peril through these passages, and while Tash must learn about herself in order to understand demons, Catherine and Ambrose will have to return to the surface to fight a war they cannot escape. Above, the world is in turmoil. The army of King Aloysius has captured prince Tzsayn de Pitoria and is preparing to invade the kingdom. In order for Catherine to put a stop her father’s tyranny, she must build an army of her own. Her journey is a dangerous one, in which discerning friend from foe is never easy.