Hovelbrook is supposed to be safe. That was the Emperor's promise: in exchange for labor, workers receive rations, a single-room home, and protection from the Vagrants that roam the land beyond the wall. But when the same plague that made her an orphan threatens her brother Tad's life, seventeen-year-old Kiva decides to find out if the outside world is as dangerous as they make it seem. 

While their first encounter with a Vagrant does turn violent, it ends with the siblings joining the Emperor's son, Will, and stepdaughter, Margaret. But they're fleeing from the Emperor himself, who plans to have Margaret assassinated for instigating a rebellion.

As they navigate through dangerous territory, the Emperor's drones continue to hunt them. They eventually find refuge in a repurposed Vagrant community set up in an old shopping mall. But not everyone welcomes them readily, knowing full well the threats that keep them hidden inside.

 And as Kiva's feelings for Will grow stronger, so do her suspicions that he may not be someone she can trust.