In the Mountain ... Lillia Tanner's dream of becoming a commissar has turned into a nightmare. Voices in the darkness whisper rebellion against the Commonwealth she is sworn to serve. And Lillia feels compelled to heed their call. King Elon has found a new faith for his dying people. But the old gods are still cherished. The cult of his heretic goddess is beckoning him to a crusade in the dark of the Mountain and a civil war in his realm. Judge Jonathan Acacia keeps a semblance of order in the workers' quarter. Caught between his family's political intrigues, the cruel laws he must administer, and a demon of addiction, the darkness he contends against will either embrace Jonathan or devour him. The dark is coming to life. War is coming with it. And there is nowhere to hide in the Mountain.