Devany Miller is back to kick ass and take names ... But first she has to figure out how to use the magic inside her without the help of the witch Arsinua. Evil isn't waiting for her to figure it out, either. Outlaw witches kill her ex-husband. The geis laid to hide the Skriven souls from her spawn is crumbling and the only way to fix it is make a pact with the murderous fleshcrawler queen. Then there's the matter of Tytan, the only one of her spawn who wants to help her renew the geis and hide the souls. Or does he? He's helped her in the past but if he does find his soul he can ascend and challenge her to a duel to the death for her place as an Originator-a job you'd have to die to retire from. A job that looks like it will kill her one way or the other.