The sorceress Kalayin is dead. Living in exile, her former apprentice Nolya asks only to be left in peace.

But enemies are gathering. Some accuse her of a terrible crime, others seek to use her for their own ends. Nolya is forced to flee to Ankhonis, where the King has not forgotten that she once served the woman who plotted to take his throne.

While Nolya unravels the mystery of why so many hands are raised against her, a further secret is laid bare. A means to wield magic of a kind not seen since the mighty sorcerers of ancient times. She may gain the power to scatter her enemies, but at what cost?

If the day is coming for a confrontation between the worlds of magic and men, Nolya will be forced to choose a side.