Waking in a Tjal-Dihn camp, Thane is unable to remember who he is or where he has been. Desperate to feel connected and with nowhere else to go, he asks to participate in the Tjal adoption ceremony that, if successfully completed, will assure him an honorable place in Tjal society. What he doesn't realize is that to fail is to forfeit his life.

Dor struggles to understand his growing feelings for Tam as he helplessly watches her dranlok addiction consume her, threatening to take her away as it drains her will to live.

Jack fights to convince the HuMans they are in danger of extinction...

As Haykon's refugees converge on Calandra, Zadok's army prepares for their final assault while Jack and Ranse struggle to convince the incompetent king that the annihilation of Calandra's people is imminent. Thane, Dor, and Tam return to their homeland seeking a talisman that might be their only hope in defeating the evil horde that is bent on their destruction but old jealousies and hatred could be the stumbling blocks that doom all good races to ultimate extinction. Jne seeks to regain her honor knowing that very likely it will end with her death. Time is running out for all as fate races...