Alone and fleeing a savage killer, Zahra is willing to do anything just to stay alive. Stumbling into the clutches of a murderous alchemist, she’s desperate enough to accept his brutal training. Under his guidance, she learns how to pick a lock, blind an enemy from twenty paces, and how to cook a pretty mean baked potato. But as her skills grow, so do the dangers surrounding her. Growing up in the gutters of Vesper, the City of Spires seemed mere legend. A land of plenty, of possibility, a safe haven where Empire sorcerers spin dreams into fate. But alchemists tinker with the devourer, ever-plotting a way to topple the One-Eyed King, and Zahra soon finds that the only freedom given to outsiders is the freedom to drown in sewer water, or to be skull-cracked by an Empire enforcer.  Here, survival isn’t just a struggle - it’s a battle against a system rigged against people like her. But soon Zahra’s no longer just a desperate street rat. She’s learning, evolving, and discovering she’s been a pawn in a much larger game. And with the right moves, even a pawn can change the board.