On the eve of his sixteenth birthday, Dematris Blackhorn-a lordling on the cusp of achieving his dream of being Imprinted with the magic he will carry for the rest of his life-finds his world crumbling around him. Since the Founding of Serillia, five centuries ago, his family has led and protected the province of Fallon. When that unbroken history of service is shattered by murder and betrayal, Dematris is set on a path he never expected. One of survival, truth, and finding his way back home. Rife with beauty, danger, and magic, the continent of Serillia exists in uneasy peace. When the balance of power shifts, and the echoes of its violent past begin to reverberate, ancient races will stop at nothing to dominate its land once more.Driven from his home, and with his brother far across the ocean, Dematris alone stands in a position to stem the tide of destruction that threatens everything he has ever known and loved. But with the blood of so many innocents already weighing on his conscience, can he summon the courage to return?