Beju Byteborne is still the meanest monster on The Edge, at least when Kitten's not around.Kitten's abduction unlocked troublesome emotions in Beju. That was bad. But Kitten's sudden illness cuts deeper than Boomslang. A high-tech tick in the girl's heart could explode at any minute. Beju can't be certain, but the ache in her chest feels a lot like guilt. That can't be right. Genetically enhanced monsters, assassins, stone-cold killers can't have a conscience.

Emotions ruin everything!Then there's Colonel Morrison Silver. His surly smirks, capable soldiering, and playful sweethearts warming her coldblooded heart. Somehow his humanness rubbed off on her. Ditching him on a desolate planet fixed some of that, but now she can't stop thinking about him. What's stopping her from turning back and enjoying their long-overdue date? Encoded DNA: Bytebornes don't look back.With the maniacal Protectorate Bloodrose out for vengeance, a rambunctious crew to rehabilitate, a dying Kitten, and a cure to hunt down, there's no time for human emotions like fear and grief. What about true love, you ask? It doesn't take a Divine Priestess to answer that: Bytebornes don't do love.