The elven city of Merethia is a wondrous place where dreams come true—for some. From the dirty streets they tread to the darkened alleys they lay their heads, life in Merethia for Marshalla and Tip is little more than a daily fight for survival. But in Merethia, even they dream, and Marshalla dreams for they both to share in Merethia's wealth. It is a dream she holds dear, one she is determined to make real by any means. There is a cost, of course, a price for every plot. They bear this without fail until the last one, until the betrayal that leaves Tip with blood on his hands and they both running for their lives. With enemies around every corner, both Marshalla and Tip must turn to each other and what few friends they have to survive the chaos. Except, this is Merethia. Not everyone with a smile is an ally.

The spectre of Tip's past has been put to rest at last. The cost was high, but now the friends look to the future with hope.   The weight of Anieszirel's secret has been hard to bear for many, however. For one in particular, it's been crushing, and as his despair becomes unbearable, he does the unthinkable. He tells.   The revelation is devastating, shaking the Shimmering Tower to its foundations and turning those who once swore to protect Tip and Marshalla to now hunt them without mercy.   The friends' worst nightmare has come true, their dreams in tatters. They must now abandon the life they've grown to love and seek refuge far from Merethia. Except they are hunted by the Shimmering Tower, the people who sealed Anieszirel away in the first place. None, not even the Kin-Slayer, has escaped their wrath before.

No secret stays buried forever. The three stand victorious once more. Their enemies lie scattered, and Anieszirel's presence remains a secret. But their victory comes at a price. An ancient entity, chained and forgotten, now stirs within Tip. Its power is terrifying, its evil horrifying. Its hold upon the child grows. Determined to free him from this entity, Anieszirel and Marshalla journey to Kirsk, a city from Tip's past. They must learn all they can about the entity, and how long before it claims Tip's body for its own. Except there is one from Tip's past who knows of the entity's evil. He is determined to rid the world of entity and vessel, but has yet to find the child. It's into his domain the women journey. Oblivious of this hunter, the women search for answers, unaware that one misstep will instead earn them all a swift death.

Some sins just can't be forgiven. The plan worked, its execution flawless. Tip and Marshalla are hunted no longer. With the living essence of the chronodragon Anieszirel safe within Tip, the pair look to a brighter future within the Shimmering Tower, eager to put the nightmares behind them at last. There are those for whom Tip and Marshalla's misdeeds can never be forgotten, however, let alone forgiven, and from the shadows, these vengeful few weave a web that will see the pair dead and their allies broken. Oblivious to the threat gathering around them, the pair look to a new life free of their former burdens, yet ignorant of the noose tightening about their necks. With the element of surprise theirs, their enemies have the upper hand. The end seems all but certain for the pair. But Tip and Marshalla have Anieszriel, and that is one dragon you do not cross.