Laila DiSanti trusts no one. Betrayed by her father's ambition and greed, she lost her family, her home, and her lover. Forced into exile in the lawless mountains surrounding Dramon, she eases her guilt by using her skill with sword and knife to hunt down outlaws and slavers and rescue the innocents they prey upon. Pace Alastar is devoted to two things-his daughter, and the welfare of his home, the legendary hidden valley of Andacor. His world was upended when a ground quake damaged the crystals that protect Andacor and grant its citizens near immortality. Unless the crystals are restored to power, Andacor and its inhabitants will die. Only Pace's daughter can save them, and she is lost in the outside world. To rescue a young girl and save a world, Pace and Laila join forces in battling outlaws and the harsh mountain terrain, but can they conquer the insurmountable obstacles that mean Pace's certain death?