Luxea Siren and Ares Lavrenthea survived their brush with death, but the end has only just begun. Memories of Luxea's childhood are returning to her: a mysterious shadow woman, a blackwood tree, a sickness, an abandoned manor, a music box, and a dream . . . But how do they fit together? The answers become clearer as the Mooncallers travel the Joined Hands, destined for the Empire of Goldenrise. Through pain and lies, faith and secrets, the pasts and futures of Luxea Siren and Ares Lavrenthea cross. All along, their paths have been intertwined. All along, Oscerin has known where they lead. As Ares struggles to free himself from the seduction of the Widow's web, Luxea is forced to take the burden of the Speaker of Oscerin upon herself. Following a series of obscure directions, Luxea learns that her existence is a gateway to something much bigger, a maze that leads not only to truths about Widow and the Shadow but the creation of the universe.