Two years ago, Kazlyr Baine succeeded in a takeover of Citadel Capitol. All went as he had planned until a certain predetermined event began its underhanded course. Now, Mirah's power of ice launches into its suspected backfire, and Luke faces an unforeseen tragedy in his own power. "A certain player on the board is not available for checkmate, but I need him off the board. However, I cannot kill him to get him off, you see. If I kill him, he wins the game. The House is divided; some are willing to kill him, but if I burn down the house, I lose the ones who will help keep him alive. Luke will kill him, but not if I kill Luke first." My dove had become a vulture. I knew what the power had done to her mind. It all became real when I lay crumpled in the floor bleeding from a wound slow to heal. She believed the stabbing would usher me into death. "Yes, Luke, you lied. Back in Estice. The chopper landed and, unbeknownst to us, King y'Vera got out, though our perceptions were messed up, but you knew he was the Chief. Yet you called him Nathan Jones. Why?" What is this mysterious predetermined event? Will Mirah escape the fate of her power? WIll Luke become another victim of the House?