Morph attacks. Winter storms. Sickness. The journey is drawing to a close, but morale has never been lower for the Easthaven survivors. Each encounter with their ever-changing enemy weakens them, and soon they must make an impossible choice-and endure the loss that comes with it. At Fortress Ashland, Dr. Mason and Commander Hale continue in their efforts to find a cure, but each new revelation brings unsettling questions about morphs and humans alike. Aya, last living vampire of Clan Ayume, is finding a place among her people, but she cannot banish thoughts of the humans she left behind...and one Reaper in particular. As she learns more about blood bonds, Aya will be forced to choose a path that will affect the rest of her life. But which path will she choose? And how will she live with the consequences?