Faced with diverging loyalties, torn between those she loves and her responsibility to the Realm, Kira Metallurgist is forced to make strategic but heartrending decisions that threaten her future. As her connection to Tai deepens and turmoil in the Realm builds, so does Gannon's frustration at being unable to call Kira his own.
While the Realm stands defiant amid rising unrest, Kira is thrust into a role that puts her at the forefront of her system's governance and law. As a reluctant but inspiring voice for her caste, Kira learns one of the Realm's best-kept secrets and how far leadership will go to keep it from being revealed. What she doesn't know is how the decisions of her past have brought enemies into her path, threatening to destroy everyone she holds close to her heart.