Still recovering from injuries received in foiling the murderous plot of a Ferran envoy, Rhenn begins new duties as imager liaison to the Civic Patrol of L’Excelsis. While dealing with his new duties, which include patrolling some of the most dangerous streets in the city, Rhenn receives formal notice that a vengeful High Holder, the father of a man Rhenn partly blinded in self-defense, has declared his intention to destroy Rhenn and his family....

The third novel in the Imager Portfolio picks up about five years after the end of Imager's Challenge. Rhennthyl and Seliora are married and have a small daughter, and Rhennthyl has proven to be an effective patrol captain as well as a strong imager. But problems are increasing: a new addictive drug is destroying more people faster, including a member of Rhenn's family, mysterious explosions rock the city of L'Excelsis, and the country's most powerful...