The life of the underwater kingdom and its inhabitants is in the hands of Jiad, a warrior priestess who wants only freedom from the fate of the eternal guard imposed on her. Having agreed to return to save the dying heir of the sea people, she does not yet know that the magic of imprinting requires the impossible: to sincerely forgive the one who causes only hatred in her. Prince Alestar struggles to atone and overcome the centuries-old enmity between the people and the Irenaze, but betrayal and death are on his heels. To survive, Jiad and Alestar must uncover murder and conspiracy, maintain the tenuous power of the king of the sea and, most difficult of all, defeat themselves.