Orphaned as an infant, Nyssa can only dream about who she is, where she comes from— and the meaning behind the mysterious words branded on her skin. But with the arrival of shadowy strangers, her past is revealed. Nyssa is among the last descendants of the Keepers, teachers of ancient wisdom annihilated by the marauder Alaric. Now the future of Nyssa’s people depends on her finding the other half of the hidden message, written on a twin she’s never known, and unleashing the powers behind their lost language.