Magic has been banned for five hundred years. It began with the Night of Ashes.

When Telerin Hall falls to the fires of that purge, mage-teacher Seredin helps his students flee with little more than their lives.

He should keep running. Instead, he turns back.

What the flames did not destroy may still be hidden in the ruins—records, teaching texts, and fragments of magical knowledge that could help scattered survivors find one another and keep the old craft alive. If he leaves them behind, they may be lost for good.

He is not alone. One surviving student has also returned, determined to save what she can before the ruins are stripped bare.

If they fail, the Night of Ashes will claim more than a single hall. It will bury the names of the living, the knowledge they need, and any hope of rebuilding what was lost.