Cato and his lab-family had a difficult choice to make--stay in Phantom Heights as mercenaries to protect the very humans who betrayed him once before, or cross the Rip into Avilésor where Azar lurks in his dark fortress. Neither Realm is safe, and no matter where they go, they'll be fugitives.

Cato thought he was ready to forget his past. But he has questions that need to be answered before he can truly move on. He can't remember the accident that turned him into a half-breed, only a mysterious flash of green light. And his blood-family's betrayal still haunts him. What did Agent Kovak tell his mother to make her disown him? And how did she explain his disappearance? Unraveling the twisted web of secrets and lies could put his lab-family in even more danger . . .

. . . and the only person in Phantom Heights who suspects his escape is desperate to make sure the truth stays buried.