Sergeant Cieran O'Donnell has felt frozen in time since he lost his team fourteen months ago to a rogue sorcerer. And when tragedy strikes again, he has no choice but to move forward into a new mission, with a new team, in the same Allied American States Wastelands that claimed lives fourteen months ago. After all that, the last thing he needs is a heartbond with one of the dragon shifter scouts they encounter in the perilous wastes... Dragonwalker Scout Athina Spera and her fleet have one mission: track down the escaped sorcerer who wreaked havoc on their Atlantican archipelago and bring him to justice. They're technically foreign troops in a different country's no-man's-land, but her captain is willing to make any alliance if it means capturing their enemy. Athina is also willing to do whatever is necessary, except keep this heartbond with a human sergeant... At least they're agreed-suppress the heartbond, find the sorcerer, part ways. Except living ghosts stalk their steps, and nothing ever goes to plan in the Wastelands.