No matter how far he runs, he can’t run far enough.
Blamed for the accidental deaths of two family members, Akuleh—Ku to his friends—flees his shamanic society to fight in an interstellar war. An excellent bush pilot, he gets accepted for flight training, even though he’s underage—a quality that makes him the target of abuse from many of his peers.
But when Machitew, death demon of his people’s ancient tales, begins stalking Ku for his own bone-chilling purposes, bad things start happening to the people around him… making it impossible for him to concentrate on both his studies and his flying.
Enemies abound, both within the training squadron and in the black of space, and it quickly becomes apparent that not only is Ku’s nation losing the war, but Ku is also losing his personal battle with Machitew.
Ku will have to rely on his neglected “chanter” background—something he has been derided for in the past—as well as his skillful piloting, if he’s going to save his homeworld… and his soul.