Six years ago, the king of Casmantium's schemes shattered the balance between griffins and humans, and nearly led to disaster for both. Now the balance may be tipping once more - and this time neither courage nor sacrifice may be enough to repair what should never have been broken. Mienthe, the Lord of the Delta's young ward, knows only that her own peaceful life has been shaken. But when a spy brings a deadly secret from a neighboring country, she sees three kingdoms move towards war and two species toward destruction. Trapped between the secret many would kill to preserve and the desperate ferocity of the griffins, could Mienthe herself hold the key to preventing the atrocities to come?