In her quest to find the Orb of Spirit, Wynn Hygeorht is torn between two men who hate each other—her vampire protector, Chane Andraso, and the elf Osha, who has tender feelings for her. Now a strange series of clues leads them to a remote keep built on the dark cliffs of the coast of Witeny. The young duke there has been undergoing some disturbing changes—and so have the people and livestock in the outlying villages. Wynn has no idea what awaits her at this keep—an old enemy who wants nothing more than to see her dead.
  
At the same time, Dhampir Magiere, Leesil, and Chap continue their desperate search for the Orb of Air, still burdened with the master assassin, Brot’an, and the elven outcast girl, Wayfarer. Still hunted by a team of assassins, they escape on the first available ship only to find themselves under the power of a sadistic captain. Even if they manage to survive this voyage, there is a trap waiting for them at the journey’s end that is beyond anything they can imagine…