TWO years have passed since the blood mage Ba'tvian Delthanurk had killed his former mentor and taken his student, the elven lady Nerisse se li Astorae, for his own. With the Mancers still on the hunt for them, the lovers travel into the northern wilderness during the dead of winter. There Ba'tvian continues to formulate plans for the future, while Nerisse struggles to overcome an ability that has now become a hindrance. Yet as they seek solutions to their problems, another issue arises: a barbarian fleeing his people in the arctic Ice Fields will cross their path. He will bring with him his own set of dark skills – something that may be of interest to an ambitious blood mage...