In the not-too-distant future, the color of your helix tattoo shows exactly how your DNA was modified--green for super-smart scientists, black for pumped-up warriors, white for the immortal Seligo--but Cipher's red helix is a death sentence. It's a sign of unstable DNA, which is probably the reason she can manipulate electricity. When she was eight years old, Cipher made the mistake of showing her uncle the tattoo. In return, he killed her parents and tried to kidnap her. She's been on the run ever since, and twelve long years later, Cipher is tired of hiding. Survival isn't enough anymore. She wants her life back. Hacking into the Citadel mainframe is a huge risk, but it pays off when she finds a database on red helixes. Before she can copy it, she loses control of her power, charring her last processor, and the only person in the Arizona Voids that can get her back online is her oldest friend, Knightly. She hasn't seen him in person since she started running, and Knightly 2.0 is fully upgraded with a six-pack and knee-melting smile. For a girl like Cipher, trust doesn't come easily, but Knightly makes her yearn for a life she knows she can't have, especially when every secret she reveals endangers them both.