Power opens all doors. Some should stay closed. Adam Slate sees something other humans can't: Connections, all around him. People, places, relationships, possessions, all as clear as letters on a page. But seeing the web makes it too easy to pull the strands, and even his riskier machinations-an illegal slave trade for one, and a gathering of dark magicians, for another-are growing boring. That is, until he runs across a slave with a connection he can't see. Everybody's looking for something, and Micah can craft a persona to suit any taste. Or so he thought until his newest owner. He tries one tactic after another to please Slate, to no avail. It's as if Slate can see straight through Micah's many masks and doesn't like what lies-or doesn't lie-beneath. In relentless pursuit of Micah's mysterious connection, Slate's magic opens a gateway to a place that seems like nowhere. The damage mounts, but the door sings a siren song that Slate can't resist. Micah's connected to something in the darkness, and Slate's determined to find out what-even if it kills them both. A standalone The Powers That Be prequel. **See Riptide Page for content warnings**