Book excerpt: Zelle and her allies have returned to Zeuten, but their visit to Itzar left nobody unscathed. Especially Zelle, whose allegiance with the nameless Shaper has given her a burden that might kill her before it lets her free. Rien, meanwhile, has his own battle to fight. Returning to his homeland leads to more than a confrontation with the man who took everything from him, as in their absence, their enemy has seemingly formed an alliance with another Great Power. Invicten, god of illusions, possesses magic that can turn friend against friend and nation against nation - and it might already be too late to stop him working his influence over the other mages of Aestin. While Zelle struggles to protect her nation against the deadly threat across the ocean, Evita is forced to turn to the assassins she once lived with for answers on the magic she took from them. But the truth is deadlier than she would ever have guessed. War is on the horizon, with the three Great Powers prepared to use the human world as their battleground. And in a battle of the gods, there may be no humans left standing in the end…