Darkness violently rips Ember's family away, leaving her in absolute despair. In a near catatonic state of shock she moves to take Whisper's clawed hand as the demon offers her salvation. All Ember wants is the pain to stop as the bloody bath water pools around her on the floor, but in a flash of black feathers and godsteel, the Old One intercedes, robbing the rogue demon of his prize. The Angel of Death offers the girl an alternative to sharing her family's fate. Ember must choose of her own free will whether to become a demon herself and work for the Old One, or be thrust back into the nightmare she left behind.