Even miracles have a price. One sentence from the newly returned Exceptional sends the compound into a tailspin. Truths they thought fact are turned on their head and suspicion placed on one of their own. They must find the truth before they all perish. Steele is hell-bent on wiping out the Infected. The destruction of one of his compounds has only hardened his resolve. All his plans lie with the secret weapon tucked away where none of the Infected can turn it to their advantage. Since the last big battle where she lost so much, Ilana has fought against her so-called destiny as Guardian of her people. Haunted by her consummate failure where their nearly their entire tribe was wiped out, she's stopped listening to the ancestors that can teach her. They aren't giving up so easily and are trying to make her hear them again. Will the Exceptional be able to battle the threats from Steele, along with those within their own walls? Or will they die trying?