The sting of death wasn’t something Xander expected to feel more than once, but now, death seems to have it out for him. Old allies turn into foes. New ones slip through his fingers. It seems this death game is growing crueler with each cycle. When a crumbling building throws him into the path of an old enemy and a new player, Xander is thrust into the role of a mentor. But every move he makes reminds him how far he falls short of Saris – and time is running out. The arena is smaller, snow is falling, and a fort on the ocean becomes the key to winning the round. If Xander wants a shot at finishing the game, he’ll have to take it from the larger team defending it – before the lions come and finish the cycle for him.