Trapped and terrified, Sagan fights her way back to the worlds where she belongs. Likewise, Korac battles the restraints of his past to save her.

With Sagan exhausted, starved, and disarmed, it seems impossible. Razor, the Pain Curator, made certain of it.

Meanwhile, Imminent and Enki close in on the Shadow. The former culminate millennia of careful scheming and test the Progeny's familial bonds. The latter moves closer to finding the Ancient's Atheneum, a library of bones.

A sleeper, a puppet master, and a black flame threaten the Shadow's worlds while Razor arranges the ascension of his empire. With Sagan gone, will he remain unchallenged?