But news has spread that the Marad - an unbalanced terrorist group determined to overturn harmony in the Galaxy could strike any House at any moment. Then, unwelcome nightmare that he is, Ochus appears to Rho, bearing a cryptic message that leaves her with no choice but to fight. Now Rho must embark on a high-stakes journey through an all-new set of Houses, where she discovers that there's much more to her Galaxy and to herself than she could have ever imagined.