Framed for the grisly murder of his shellan, Kane is condemned to the notorious prison camp-unaware of the dark truth behind his arranged mating. Centuries later, when he is horribly burned while attempting to save others, he prays he'll finally be reunited in the Fade with his mate ... not knowing what revelations await him. Nadya is a self-taught nurse who does what she can to ease the suffering of the prisoners. When Kane comes under her care, she cannot help but empathize with his condition for very personal reasons - and as the guards take him away one last time, she fears he is facing a terrible death. After a daring rescue, Kane is offered a treatment that will change his very nature. Choosing life, for the time being, he goes back for the female who took such good care of him - but his duty to Nadya sets him on a collision course with his own past. When long-buried secrets are exposed, his self-destruction is inevitable ... unless true love can save his soul.