After the battle of the Dobrens Valley, Bloody Bess declares herself Queen of Jucar, her men pursuing the rebels who've survived. Roha, Cia, Ulan and the others flee with Hostill, the boy contender for her crown, to their rival Frizenze, hoping King Avize will be motivated to get him onto the Jucari throne to restore peace between their kingdoms. They're separated when Ulan and Ruggerio turn back for the royal city to recover the dangerous Gospel of Gelerte, which has fallen into the queen's hands (and possibly also to stage an assassination). The rest are attacked by Bloody Bess's men and further driven apart. Roha's horse takes off with nim into the forest, where ni's stolen away by a man who's half serpent to a mysterious sanctuary where evil spirits are locked away from the All, the nim who run it perpetually haunted by the spirits. The others reach the king, but something is afoul in Frizenze. King Avize was nearly killed in the war and his soul is now kept magically locked into his own body. But what is powering the mageri magic? Cia uncovers a deadly conspiracy within their new walls that threatens one of their own. She fears that rather than rescue, she's brought about the means of their destruction.