A world hangs in the balance, scented with magic and shadowed by war. In the aftermath of Ean's devastating civil war, an uneasy peace is threatened by the vengeful Jakus, who seeks to reclaim his power and exploit the scent-enhancing crystals of Rolan. As the deposed leader prepares an invasion, Targus, a tarnished hero haunted by his past, and Alethea, an aging female mystic, must rally the defenders against a ruthless enemy wielding a potent new scent-based weapon. But their task is complicated by a parasitic presence infecting Targus, seeking to control his will. Can they overcome the internal and external forces arrayed against them? Or will Ean and Rolan fall to Jakus's insatiable ambition? The fate of both countries rests on a subtle scent magic wielded by the women of Rolan, and the choices of a young man caught in the crossfire. Will Kyel find his place in the coming conflict, or will his past doom them all?