Librarian Cillian Harahel and Wizard Alise Phel have fled Convocation Academy in the dark of night and grip of winter, taking with them the hidden archives they liberated from hiding. The effort of magically holding onto the massive archives—everything to do with House Phel and the conspiracy against it—is draining Cillian nearly to death. Alise wants only to get him to the house of his birth, and hopefully save his life.

But the young lovers are soon separated by their warring families. While Cillian remains at House Harahel to begin the painstaking work of restoring the archives, Alise goes home to the only home she has left: House Phel. There, she finds her sister, Nic, giving birth. But the joyful event is soon shattered by the arrival of their father, Lord Elal.

Forced to make a choice between her niece's wellbeing and her own, a broken-hearted Alise returns to House Elal with her father, agreeing to be molded into his creature.

Cut off from each other, Cillian and Alise struggle to find the answers they desperately need—and, perhaps, find one another again.