The blood sorcerer Arran Sylvaissen has clenched the continent in an iron fist, sacking the city of Ülhard and laying siege to the surrounding villages. Yet amidst the storm of war, a tentative resistance now arises to thwart him. Having brought Velda safely within the magical borders of Qwu'Mallorn, Albryan struggles to understand the purpose of her divinely bestowed power to undo magic. Once a soldier sworn to serve his homeland, now love and duty do battle in his heart. Together they decide to uncover the destiny that awaits her, a destiny entangled with a strangely familiar face she glimpses only in dreams. Meanwhile, as they recover from the wounds of their last battle, the former assassins Nico and Fish must make a choice that will chart the course of the war. Will Fish walk away, heed his partner and flee far away from the massing storm? Or will he stay, join the fight, and face at last the spectre of his hated father and the implacable wrath of his long-lost sister Dannine? All efforts at resistance may yet be in vain, for at long last Arran has discovered the identity of the sacrificial victim who will secure the power of his dark goddess. Guided by prophecy, he sets out to ensnare her: the maiden who has only known despair...