Taylor Ann thought she was just a veterinarian researcher, a woman of science dedicated to the frozen silence of the arctic. But when her mother Lia gives her a violent- stoned locket, the cold reality of Taylor's life shatters. The heirloom isn't jewelry- it's a piece of ancient Aether- technology, a key that has been passed down through the Jefferson-keel line since 1943.For decades, the world believed Captain Elias Jefferson-Keel was a mere sea explorer. In reality, he was the only human to ever hold the "Mark of the Paw" award- the silent partner to the knights of the North, a hidden civilization of hyper-intelligent polar bears. Now, as a shadowy organization led by a man from Taylor's past closes in. The knights are running out of time. The Earth is no longer safe for their families, and they need a guardian to guide them home.