Over the objections of Sophia, the god to whom she is united, the wanderer Lucinda sets out to get her child back from the Sige queen who stole him.

On her way to Sumorselde, the queen's city, she discovers that not only has Sophia betrayed her but her lover, Lord Stephen, is arranging his marriage to another. Distraught, she stumbles into a deadly confrontation with her father, Brihtnoth, and flees with Stephen into the tunnels under the city.

Their only hope for untangling the snares set for them lies in finding the Well of the Worlds and making the age-old sacrifice at the foot of the Tree of Life—but not all of the gods want them to survive the journey.