SOME CHOOSE THE GAME. SOME HAVE IT THRUST UPON THEM. Orion Grimslade III is determined to forge his own path in a galactic future awash with alien technology and ancient magic. Yet when he takes a job protecting an idealistic young politician, he finds himself drawn into a conspiracy far older and darker than anything he ever imagined. With the help of an interstellar exile, a fierce warrior from a dying race and his own living-metal spellblade, it’s up to Orion to keep Zovaco Ralli alive until Election Day. If he can, he’ll earn the money and respect he needs to keep his business — and his dream — afloat. But who wants Zovaco dead? Even as Orion fights his way to the heart of the conspiracy, he must do battle with his father’s expectations and the scars of his mother’s abandonment. With only his friends and his arcane training on his side, Orion must face terrible truths and make hard choices to protect a fragile thing called democracy.