Twelve years ago Remo Kipling led a rebellion against king Avalon, causing the bloodiest treason in Alexanderia's history. Moira, exiled from the Mage Academy, and Eclipse, a panther entrusted as her guardian, stumble upon a terrible secret. Kipling lives. Worse yet, he has a deadly plan. Caught between her duty to protect the Innocent and her distrust of the Order she serves; she is forced to face her nightmares, self doubt and the corruption of the Alexanderia's Royal Court in order to protect her friends from Kipling's fury. Zack Dawson, Captain of the Alexanderian Knights, is not only the youngest knight in the army but the deadliest. His regimented life of right versus wrong is all he knows. But when Moira drags him into her plans his world shifts, from black and white to a dangerous grey. Can he uphold his honor and virtue or will the magic in his sword turn him into the monster he fears he is? Will both of them survive the monster haunting their nightmares or will they succumb to the darkness. Author's note: Not a sequel to A Thief's Wager.