Rise of the Masks

Mel can sense the blood beating through her companions' veins. She can count the moments between heartbeats to tell who is sincere and who is lying. She can make herself stronger for short periods of time, heal small wounds on her body, and manipulate light to change her appearance subtly. These abilities are useful skills for a Mask - a preternaturally sensitive, cloaked and imposing, impartial arbitrator, both revered and feared by everyone.

No more broken promises. After fleeing Cillary Keep and fighting trogs in the frozen north, Mel and Ott travel south to the Red Desert to help reunite two sisters. Rav promised to return to her younger sister, Zunee, who has been left in charge of their family. Trogs, fires, sinkholes, and landslides - do the very elements conspire to keep the sisters apart?

In the Red Desert, a fierce battle rages against the king of trogs, threatening the lives of Mel, her friends, and thousands of refugees from the north. Can they survive the relentless trog attacks and escape looming starvation? Marget, a former house maid, has reached the limit of her patience. She and her two companions, Charl and Jaine, have come into an extraordinary power. Together, they can create a towering elemental made of fire and water - but only if they learn to get along and to control their talents.