Kailey Jackson never expected to add mercenary to her resume. She’s an Asur specialist and a language geek, not a battle-hardened fighter, but when her new mercenary friends offered her a position with the Knights, she accepted. And, although she’s not an elite merc, she’s determined to get better—not to prove anyone wrong, but to prove to herself that she belongs. Especially on the days where she doubts herself the most.

Unfortunately, Andre Lykaios hasn’t forgotten about his defeat on Shippo. Worse, unlike some of the mercenaries in the Lancers, he knows exactly how valuable a resource Kailey can be. When an opportunity arises for him to take his revenge, he strikes without hesitation. Now, the Knights are at his mercy, and Kailey is left with no choice but to help him break into an Asur outpost.

The vault door might have the most complex rune structure she’s ever seen, but she’s not about to quit. Not when her friends will be the ones to pay the price for her failure. She has no choice but to outsmart the Asur and succeed… and hopefully thwart the Syndicate’s plans in the process. But can Kailey decipher the runes fast enough, or has she finally run into a riddle she can’t solve?