Seventeen centuries of peace in the dominion of Ordefima are shattered by the return of an ancient enemy from the east, bent on revenge for the wrongs of the past. It falls on Rupert, the youngest son of the Marquis, to meet the challenge of this horror. With subversive forces operating from within, he must try and hold his land, family and life, together. His precious and only sister, Socha, holds a mysterious gift that brings fertility and life. When invasion looms, he faces the desperate consequences of greed and the ultimate price paid by those in love - loss.