At terrible cost, the High King has returned, and while most in the five kingdoms rejoice, the companions struggle with grief and guilt over decisions made and losses incurred. They have little time to mourn however as it soon becomes clear that the enemy destroyed to bring back the king, was not the biggest challenge they would face.Accompanied by Dorian and Rodama, the two youngest and most impulsive members of the company, Duncan and Janaya set out on a mission for the new High King. Joined by the volatile twins Romendil and Gilraen, they travel across the southern desert to investigate reports of missing children, only to discover that though they may have destroyed the heart of the enemy in the last battle, its spirit remains alive and a bigger threat than ever.Ariana and the young healer, Rhia, unaware of the discoveries of their friends, and struggling with their own guilt and grief, embark on a journey that will eventually carry them to the ancient realm of the sea ree'ma where they will learn the meaning of a mysterious artifact they have unwittingly been carrying with them.Soon the Valley of the Moon, the peaceful home of the oath-takers for two and half millennia, will draw all of the companions together for another desperate battle, which will bring Ariana and Rhia face-to-face with the evil sorceress, Elrhoheranan.