Surrendered into his mother's control, Alain must do the unthinkable to save himself, his sister, and reunite with Caelin: he must become the Archon. As Archon, he can remove the rotten tangles of the Legion from within, but he must lie at every turn to keep his secret safe--even to Caelin. Meanwhile, Caelin rushes into Rosaliea to rescue him and unearths a dangerous ancient relic that might obliterate the cryst load upon which the Seat of the Legion rests. The deeper she gets, the more desperate everything seems. Despite Alain's machinations and despite Caelin's devotion and strength, the corruption of the Legion may be too deep, and the secret wielder of power in the background too old and powerful to be unseated.