After learning of Wolf's atrocities, a rattled Iris finds herself questioning her own judgment. How could she have been so blind to Wolf's underhanded dealings? Can she make wise decisions to lead the Ddraigs? Or should she give up and let the power hungry red Ddraig take control? Meanwhile in Déchets, Alaric grows desperate in his endeavor to annihilate the Ddraigs. He frees a prisoner named Helena, a traitor to the crown with her own mysterious secrets. Cruelly blackmailing her to maintain her loyalty, Alaric hopes to use her as a spy and assassin, sending her into Cassè to find and kill the leader of the Ddraigs. As their worlds collide, and war draws inevitably closer, Iris learns that a good leader must make personal sacrifices. The question is, can she bear the loss of everything she has grown to love?