Wren Corvallis has been neglecting his duties as Caladrius, chief medicinal officer. Three months prior, in the cold city of Nidus Wren calls home, a race he had been taught to hate has found him, known as Udo. But only one, small in stature and hair all over. A race Wren's kind, the Sapiens, thought to be dead centuries ago. A race whose history is intertwined with the Sapiens, though Sapiens only admit it in the same breadth as their escape and triumph. The Udo enslaved. But now, Sapiens are free.

The Keige that rests in Wren’s hand is now guiding him. This device that has powered their city since its founding has developed a form of communication with its creators through memory. Wren’s memory now reminds him that he could help this Udo, calling himself Pip, if only he would leave behind his comfort and his friends, to seek this ancient city the Udo call home.

But can Wren’s memories always be trusted, even if they are his own?

Those Roram Anhinga calls family are those he loves deeply. His childhood friends, Wren and Clea, bring him a comfort akin to his Keige. When he senses Wren’s inner conflict, Roram stops by Wren’s study to find it abandoned. He and Clea are forced to act.

How far must Roram go to protect the name Corvallis?

On the other side of the world, the Udo are staring down the reality of extinction. When Wren discovers this, he questions the ulterior motive of Pip, his Keige, and his reality. The beings that he can see aren’t the only ones who can manipulate.