New York Times bestselling authors W. Michael Gear and Kathleen O'Neal Gear deliver a breathtaking conclusion to the epic Earliest Americans saga-a story of survival, faith, and the fate of an entire people.
The war between the Nightland and Sunpath clans reaches its breaking point. As raids and bloodshed consume the land, prophecy and power collide in a battle that will shape the People's future.
Determined to break the Nightland's grip, Skimmer sets out to assassinate their prophet, Ti-Bish. But deep in the ice caves, she finds herself trapped-at his mercy. In the suffocating darkness, an ancient voice whispers a truth neither can escape.
Meanwhile, Windwolf, the brilliant Sunpath war chief, has done the impossible-capturing a Nightland war party beneath Headswift Village. Deputy war chief Keresa, once a loyal soldier, begins to question everything. As she confronts Windwolf, hatred and destiny entwine, forcing her to choose between loyalty and the man she once saw as an enemy.
Amidst the chaos, young Silvertip-a descendant of the legendary Ice Fire-receives a vision from the sacred Wolf Bundle. Dying from a grievous wound, he dreams of a land of hope beyond the war. But how can a boy convince his people to abandon all they know and follow him into the unknown?
As the final battle looms, the People must decide-cling to the past and perish, or embrace a new destiny and survive.