Only the worthy will rise In the underground city of the Burrows, every eighteen-year-old partakes in the Convergence-an ancient rite upheld for over a hundred years where magic beings called Auryths decide who is worthy of power. The problem is, not everyone is worthy, and those left unbonded are sentenced to exile in a world destroyed by chemical warfare. Lennon Benfield has dreaded this day her entire life. If chosen, she'll gain magic, protection, and secure her future in the Burrows, but the risk of rejection is high, and exile means leaving her younger brother Shiloh alone with their severely detached father. Not to mention, the poisonous air above ground guarantees death. At least that's what the Regime wants you to think. But Slade Whitlow knows better. Exiled years ago, he's learned the truth about the world above and the ones who condemned him. Now he leads those the Regime sent to die, protecting them from the dangers of the new world and the lies that drove them there. Lennon has always believed that every life is worth saving, but Slade knows that belief gets people killed. As buried secrets rise to the surface and impossible choices close in, Lennon must choose between her ideals and the people she loves. What happens when you become the thing you fear most?