In the walled city-state of Alu, Kammani wants nothing more than to become the accomplished healer her father used to be . . . before their lives changed forever. Before her father was unable to heal the ruler's dying son and their family was cast out of their privileged life in shame. Before Kammani had to learn how to take care of her family all by herself. When the same ruler falls deathly ill, Kammani's beautiful little sister, Nanaea, is chosen as one of three sacred maidens to join him in the afterlife. It's an honor. A tradition. And Nanaea believes it is her chance to live an even grander life than the one that was stolen from her. But Kammani sees the selection for what it really is: a death sentence. Desperate to save her sister, Kammani schemes her way into the palace to heal the dying man, but when she arrives, she discovers more danger lurking in the sandstone corridors than she could have ever imagined. As she searches for a cure, she will dig up buried secrets that are as grave as her sister's gruesome fate, and she will need to use her wits to save the maidens—and the city itself.