An epileptic seizure wrenches fourteen-year-old Eldora from her father and dooms her to an underground insane asylum. When she comes into contact with the star garnet something awakens inside, but she does not yet know how it can free her. While war divides a young nation, Argonauts flood burgeoning territories in the west. Some seek wealth; others seek a magic garnet hidden deep in Idaho caves. Those who guard the stone's abilities of eternal life and shapeshifting are called Watchers. There are only two left, and they've been separated. With the stone's power unprotected, counterfeit shifters exploit it to enslave the country. To reunite the Watchers, Eldora must discover her buried power, and learn to trust it in a world of betrayal and obligation.