Eutau Vidal owed nothing to anyone and lived his life as he wanted. But then his sister died, leaving her newborn son Kira in his care, and everything changed. The Purging sweeps on, spreading misery across the Land of Moenda as the Ascendancy wages its war of extermination against the Deadbringers. Now, torn between a promise to his dying sister and the desire to regain his freedom, Eutau struggles to care for his young nephew even as the babe begins to manifest dark powers of the most dangerous kind.Will Eutau find meaning in the promise he reluctantly made amid the ashes of war, or will he turn his back on the innocent? is a standalone prequel to , the first book in For more from E.M. Markoff, check out: (book 1) (forthcoming)Praise for "The interpersonal conflicts are some of the best I've ever encountered." "[A] dark and intriguing blend of fantasy and horror, with elegant prose, and blood and gore aplenty." "A fantastic action-adventure, tinged with Mexican folklore, that will appeal to fans of ."