Rahti (14) has dreamt all his life of his mother abandoning him at birth. But this night his dream tells him exactly where (at the gates of Olwen House) and he goes off to find out why the owners didn't adopt him, thus setting in motion a very complex spell woven by her. But she didn't bargain on his freeing his father, the fallen god Fallanein, from his place of banishment. Fallanein promises Rahti help, for which Rahti must do two things. The first is hard enough. But Rahti finds he can't possibly do the second ...