Declared a traitor to her own country, Indigo must look elsewhere to secure help for Lyra. While the Lyran prince prepares for battle, she turns to the least likely place to raise an army of her own.

The Kudaness, a people split apart by intertribal rivalries, are united in some things, including their hatred of her people and the belief that using ascard is an affront to the gods. Even if they forgive her those things, can she persuade them to go to war on behalf of their Lyran neighbors?

If she succeeds, they will face a seemingly untouchable opponent, and she must still find a way to convince Caithin that she and the prince are innocent.