A young knight, surgically augmented by the secretive Council of Magi, discovers a highly placed conspiracy aimed at the heart of the Empire of Terona. Foresworn and forced to choose between his oath and his duty, he flees the capital with the king's infant daughter, the last surviving member of the dynasty. Called a traitor, and with the might of the Empire pursuing him, he must seek friends who can help him to stave the rising darkness at the heart of his home. Against the machinations of the High Houses, the metal-dark magic of the Council of Magi, and against the Empire's enemies, he must keep hope alive. This is the first in a series.