How different is a powerless djinn from a mere human? In the fractured desert kingdom of Seiran, the demons of wind, fire, and waves faded into fairy tales. But when a cult of strangers arrive looking for a djinn, people are forced to ponder the possibility someone around them is more than they seem. And to worsen this thought, the strangers are asking for Zaira, a fugitive and alleged murderer.Zaira is a djinn indeed, but she's no killer. A thief maybe, a criminal sentenced into a human body, but she has nothing to do with any human deaths. She's without power, only helped by the brash mercenary Ezair, striving to untangle this web of intrigue before either the guards or the cult gets to her, leaving the real killer on the loose.They soon realize that Zaira isn't the only djinn in town, and this simple murder isn't so simple either. As the pair forms an unlikely friendship, gathering allies from Kahlaran's highest and lowest class,...

Grief is like a desert mirage. It paints the world differently, luring even the best towards danger. Zaira wanted nothing other than to leave everything behind, hiding among the wandering caravan-city of An Ramash. Struggling with her pain of loss and blossoming djinn powers under the tutilage of the fabled Nazrik, her new life comes to a sudden change with the arrival of yet another djinn.Harboring this new fugitive brings them face-to-face against enemies both old and new. Hain, Ezair's childhood friend is only one of the many dangers hunting them, and all pale compared to the leader of the fanatical Court of Fire. Meanwhile, the palace of Shardiz is in uproar after the appearence of a crippled mejai girl. Sethar, brother to the prince is tasked with looking after the murderous magician, using the girl's wits to uncover secrets left behind by a civilization more ancient than the Old Garden. Following the trail of the mysterious...