Do you think this desert is dangerous? “Knowledge of the sword is useless without knowledge of the world.” Kephas does not remember how he became a gladiator in the arena of a flying island called the Isle of the Free. He gained all his knowledge about the world around him from the stories that the owner of the games read to his servants while Kephas was waiting in his cell for the next opponent. “You are wise enough to understand that you must believe me. You are wise enough for this to frighten you.” From afar, Corvus Blackfeather and his Circus of Miracles watched the Isle of the Free, assessing its strengths and weaknesses. And he watched with interest the young genasi gladiator, whose feet never touched the ground. “Now open this book again. Start it over again. There is more in these pages than meets the eye." For the first time, Kephas was able to tame his innate powers and control the stones and earth beneath his feet. But Corvus has plans for Cephas that go much further than circus performances: he knows who Cephas really is, and what kind of genasi they are looking for in the cruel Calimport.