Earth begins to heal with the passage of time. It starts with the land, different than the last time, when life began in the sea. Shadow's twins, Morgan and Michaela, have come a long way, but their paths have diverged. Michaela is air and dragon, making her home in the mountains. While on the coast, Morgan is water and leviathan. He is drawn to The Old Writings, to tales of mages, black, white, and gray. He seeks to gain respect for the black mages of the pastwhich they've never hadby creating life. If he can do that, he believes he can become a deity and earn the respect long denied him.
Shadow is unexpectedly drawn into a situation she cannot control, and only the aid of Ghost keeps her from certain death. To the others, she has simply vanished. Her disappearance hits Dodger hard, and he leaves everyone behind, including his oldest friend, Raz. In the wake of Dodger's absence, Raz discovers his own destiny, and he doesn't shirk in doing his duty.
Morgan's angerand his overwhelming desire to create lifethreaten the future of a world that is trying to heal and move on from its past. Is history doomed to be repeated? Has humankind learned nothing? Is all lost, or will a savior rise to save Earth from destruction?