Ceda, the heroine of the widely praised Twelve Kings in Sharakhai, is the youngest pit fighter in the history of the great desert city of Sharakhai. In this prequel, she has already made her name in the arena as the fearsome, undefeated White Wolf; none but her closest friends and allies know her true identity. But this all changes when she crosses the path of Rümayesh, an ehrekh, a sadistic ancient creature forged by the god of chaos. Ehrekhs are usually desert dwellers, but this one lurks in the dark corners of Sharakhai, toying with and preying on humans. Rümayesh seeks to unmask the White Wolf and claim Çeda for her own, in a struggle that becomes a battle for Çeda’s very soul.