Sulema Ja'Akari is an elite warrior, one of the desert people known as the Zeeranim and the daughter of the dying Dragon King of Atualon. The king's magic prevents the destructive earth dragon from waking. As heir to his throne Sulema must be trained to take his place, yet the more she learns, the less she trusts the sinister agendas that surround her. Salvation may lie with her mother, Hafsa Azeina, a dreamshifter. To save her daughter, she will be forced to strike a pact with her greatest enemy. In the city of Khanbul, where the emperor rules with an iron hand, an elite cadre of rebel conspirators plots to overthrow him. Among them is Jian de Allyr, a prince born of a human mother and a twilight lord. If they are to challenge the emperor, however, Jian and his co-conspirators must secretly raise an army...