Aliya Barzai trades in illicit magic items and unlicensed spells. The job chafes at her, but for a young, unknown mage in a city where the Queen of Light forbids unlicensed magic, there aren’t too many better options. When a mysterious goblin man comes knocking on Aliya’s door, wreathed in strange magic and asking for her help, she figures this is as good a chance as any to do something that actually matters in the world. She’s never been to the desert beyond the city’s wards, nor tried casting magic outside the shelter of a city, but both of those things are about to change. Aliya is about to get a lot more adventure than she bargained for, and she’ll need all her wits and spells about her—because she isn’t just doing a favor for one person. She’s going up against the Queen of Light herself.