Party girl. Socialite. Addict. Natalie Richards is all three. Her drug of choice is clay, the most addictive form of dark alchemy. When she doesn't come home after a week-long bender, her estranged mother is anxious to find her, but also anxious to keep Natalie's addiction a secret. Good thing Natalie's uncle, a powerful member of the Primordial Senate, has connections. Detectives Leela Sharma and Reidar Troelsen are assigned to the case. Together, they battle dark Alchemists, ferocious beasts, and supernatural politics to find Natalie before she overdoses, but they soon discover their simple case is bigger than one missing party girl when powerful families are involved.