Life goes on. At least it's supposed to. These days, Arie isn't so sure. She finally managed to escape Dalton's grasp and find her way back to her makeshift family, but eight months is a long time to be away from home-Arie returns to find that the world kept on turning while she was gone. Alexis has been busy since Arie's secret got out and she realizes that she'll have to work harder than ever to keep the key away from him. But Alexis isn't the only problem. Dalton's threat hangs over Arie, dictating her every move, which nobody else seems to understand. And when a sinister assassin begins tracking her down, Arie knows it's only a matter of time before someone she loves gets hurt again. So the question remains: should she leave in an effort to keep her family safe or stay with those she loves to help them survive? As danger closes in from all sides, Arie realizes more and more that she's not who she used to be. Survival comes at a cost, a cost that changes people, a cost that changed Arie more than she's willing to admit. But there's something else lurking in the corners of her mind that's threatening to take control. Her fight against the clock-against her engrained powers as the key-is nearly up.