Summary:

The Northern Empire and Haar are at war. Cade (17, Northern Empire), runs away from home. She meets a man who has been looking for her and finds herself invited to attend a sorcerer academy where teenagers with budding powers prepare to fight. She begins to rise to the top of her classes but is also bullied and unable to stand up for herself. Rain (19, Haar) is a high-ranking commander with a hard past. He hears that he is being considered for the position of Supreme Commander, one of the highest positions, and must compete in a deadly competition. Accidentally, Cade and Rain find themselves telepathically communicating. They become friends and slowly they fall in love, not telling each other that they are on opposite sides of the war. Rain murders someone and deals with extreme guilt about whether or not he is a terrible person. Cade finally figures out how to stand up for herself. One day, Cade receives a telepathic communication that a friend has been captured by the Haar and goes to save him. When she gets there, she has no chance and is quickly shot. She wakes up and learns that it was a set up and that Rain, the love of her life, is a Supreme Commander for the Haar. Rain is overridden with guilt: should he save Cade or stay loyal to the Haar? Rain saves Cade then goes to turn himself into the Haar for treason. He is not killed. The book ends with Cade mourning Rain’s assumed death.