Thornwood stands alone. The forest is 60% thorns, the rain stings like needles, and the only two roads out of the province drown by midnight.Idris Vale is the youngest CEO the city has ever had. He feeds a third of the province, trusts no one, and has lost three assistants this year.Teo Marsh is a delta boy with forty-one rejected applications and one last chance. He lasts fifteen hours on the job, then makes a mistake that could starve four settlements.One storm, one stolen road, and one close call at the gate change everything. Now two people who can't afford to care are running out of time to admit they do.