With time running out to save Andi's life, a mysterious letter sends her and August across the world alone in search of a child in danger, where they must navigate a world that is strange and new to her and that he wishes he could forget—the forests, ruins, and politics of Austria.

The Surveyor’s new mission to return to Kainus Ge and negotiate a treaty with its ruler has Andi excited at the prospect of seeing Elasson again, but the arrival of a legalistic attorney on the ship threatens to once again turn her way of life upside down.