To free the man she loves, she must face those who enslaved them both. Against all odds, Amira and Daindreth found the Istovari sorceresses deep within the perilous Cursewood. But that turns out to be only the beginning. They find the sorceresses greatly weakened and lacking the power they once had. The Istovari claim to be unable to free Daindreth from the curse they placed on him. Worse, most of them want to kill Daindreth to avenge his father's banishment of their people. Meanwhile, Thadred finds himself miraculously alive. Not only that but bonded to a creature of myth. As he discovers new power as a sorcerer, he begins to wonder if perhaps there is more to his heritage than he was told and more to his potential than he ever dreamed. They are one step ahead of the empress's plans, but the imperial agents are closing in. They are all running out of time before Daindreth is captured by the empress's men and the Istovari are wiped out completely. If Amira, Daindreth, and Thadred cannot persuade the sorceresses soon, the whole of the empire will pay the price.