Nia is an orphan trying to survive in a city damaged by war. She is also a Taker; with her touch she can heal, taking pain from a person’s body into her body. But, unlike her sister and the other Takers who became students of the League of Healers, Nya's skill is flawed: she cannot transfer this pain to pinvium, the enchanted metal used for this. She can only transfer it to another person; she has to hide this dangerous skill from the invaders of the city. If the truth is revealed, it could be used as a weapon against her own people. Rumors of a new war have made Nya's life more difficult, forcing her to take desperate risks to find work and food. She fails and betrays her skill to a pain merchant who wants to use her ability for his own selfish purposes. At first Nia refuses, but when Tali and the other League Healers mysteriously disappear, she is faced with a difficult choice. Her father said that she would have to sacrifice a lot, but what would Nya have to sacrifice to bring Tali back alive?