Oriaol is burning in a desperate gamble to preserve the last bastion of hope. The Shadows force a resolution between Bethena and their former queen with fatal consequences. Mastk realises the power is slipping from his grasp and tightens his hold on the lands. Catherine is forced to face her past and a future that may have repercussions to rival the tragedy of her former existence as Trisha Demarrage Sian Silmarin. Meanwhile the Sentenial seeks the Tear of Norith-Saer to fight the darkness choking the lands, undertaking a journey that may yet see him undone. The weight of his obligations and the secrets of the past only fuel his doubt. No matter what the outcome, nothing will ever be the same again.