In the peace following the Great Mage Hunt, the king's long-time mistress is revealed as a sorceress. Locked away for the safety of the kingdom, bounties are placed upon the heads of the seven children she birthed. Before they can be found by the kingdom's mage hunters, the seven turn to in-fighting and murder, stealing each other's magics to grow stronger. After the battle on the stone plains, only three of the mage-born bastards remain alive.Kestral searches for Reshi throughout the kingdom, convinced that Reshi's traumatic childhood was the reason for his sudden departure after their last battle together. Meanwhile, Reshi finds a teacher to help him with his newly acquired mystic powers to better protect himself against his murderous older brother. In the course of his studies, Reshi finds more questions than answers regarding the mysterious magic behind the control runes. Is Velyn simply a monster for killing his brothers and sisters? Or is there a darker force at work within the kingdom of Zarapheth?