The fate of the world rests in the hands of a girl. Sephie's tougher than she looks. The young Minister of Meridian -- one of the many islands floating among the clouds of Demetria -- took her father's place as ruler of their city-state upon his sudden death. In the midst of that tragedy, a mysterious force imprinted strange marks of power upon both Sephie and her ambitious uncle Ilahn. Sephie's power is the spark of life itself. Ilahn's delivers destruction. As Ilahn sought control of Meridian, Sephie apparently fell to her death from a floating skyship. With her gone, the way seemed clear for Ilahn's conquest of Meridian. But Sephie didn't die. From her bleak enslavement on the blighted surface of Demetria, Sephie will find greater strength within herself than she ever thought possible, and she will gather an army to win back her home in the clouds"--P. [4] of cover.