Grief is like a desert mirage. It paints the world differently, luring even the best towards danger.
Zaira wanted nothing other than to leave everything behind, hiding among the wandering caravan-city of An Ramash. Struggling with her pain of loss and blossoming djinn powers under the tutilage of the fabled Nazrik, her new life comes to a sudden change with the arrival of yet another djinn.
Harboring this new fugitive brings them face-to-face against enemies both old and new. Hain, Ezair's childhood friend is only one of the many dangers hunting them, and all pale compared to the leader of the fanatical Court of Fire.
Meanwhile, the palace of Shardiz is in uproar after the appearence of a crippled mejai girl. Sethar, brother to the prince is tasked with looking after the murderous magician, using the girl's wits to uncover secrets left behind by a civilization more ancient than the Old Garden. Following the trail of the mysterious Forebearers, Sethar discovers troubling details about both his quest and his passionless assistant.
As their lives converge, sparking a heated turn of events, old wounds need to close and grudges be forgotten, lest the whole world be timber to the flames.
The adventure continues in the magical desert of Seiran, with more secrets, deadlier plots, and even more on the line.