Avery swore he would return, but one question haunts Lucia's every waking moment: Can anyone truly trust the word of a pirate?

A spring cloaked in mystery and lore bubbles deep in the heart of Elrija’s high mountain desert. It’s a fountain of healing water, a natural concoction of minerals and magic, and on it grows the fabled lily of the desert—a flower rumored to carry the cure for old age.

It’s also impossible to find. Impossible, that is, if you’re anyone other than Lucia of Reginae, professional adventuress for hire…at least that’s what Lucia tells herself now that she’s knee-deep in sand and prickly ballo brush.

Lucia’s no stranger to dangerous territory, but Elrija’s desert is unlike any place she’s ever traveled. The wind is hot, the air is dry, and a person cannot turn over a stone without finding something venomous lurking underneath. She has a month and a half to track down the lily, but every clue she finds leads to another…and someone appears to be sabotaging the expedition.

As if all that were not enough, the ring Lucia wears on the chain at her neck grows heavier each day. Avery said he’d find her, but how long will it take? And how much trouble will she find herself in before the captain finally arrives?

If he arrives at all…