Gabrielle is a bonemender of extraordinary talent. Between her work as a healer and her duties as one of the royal family of Verdeau, her life is busy, comfortable and predictable—until the day a stranger arrives at her gate, desperately seeking help for his injured friend. To Gabrielle's wonder, they are Elves, a people not seen in Verdeau in many years. And they bring news of a coming invasion that threatens the freedom of the entire Krylian basin, human and Elvish alike. As Verdeau arms for war, Gabrielle must mobilize the bonemenders and prepare herself for the nightmarish work of battlefield healing. But what awaits her on that bloody field is worse than anything she has imagined. And what is she to do with the love in her heart?