How do you survive a mage's duel without magic? Kellen's about to risk everything: His family, his home, even his own life ... When you're a Jan'Tep initiate approaching your 16th birthday, you'd better be ready to prove your worth as a mage. Either that or have a miracle on the way. And Kellen isn't counting on either. He knows he'll need a few tricks up his sleeve to avoid disgracing his family and becoming a Sha'Tep servant. So when a sassy, straight-talking traveller arrives in town, Kellen is all ears. Ferius Parfax is jaded but worldly, an exile who lives by her wits and the three decks of cards she carries. She can't teach him to spark his bands and access the seven magics, but with the hand that Kellen's been dealt, he knows he needs all the help he can get ...