Outcast. Even among outcasts.

Luca is a Dobra, born into the lowest caste of the despised Ikus tribe, where even his telepathy cannot spare him from scorn. But his ambition to rise above his station and his love for the matriarch's daughter drive him to earn his imbued lockblade and become the tribe's bloody right hand.

With the help of the mute Isabelle, Luca leads Marta and the catatonic Caddie on a dangerous journey deep into the East, where the relentless Render Graff and an unstoppable glassman nip at their heels. It will take all of Luca's cunning and telepathic tricks to see them through to safety.

But Luca has secrets of his own, secrets that threaten to doom not only their mission but the entire nation. Will Luca's ambition and love be his downfall or will he rise above his station and become the unlikely hero of Ayr?