Driven to find the truth behind her mother's death, Alyx Egalion has returned to DarkSkull Hall and reunited with her friends. The lies that bound her past have broken open, and she's determined to embrace the magic that burns inside her. Despite her resolve, Alyx struggles to learn, haunted by terrible nightmares and the loss of her friend Brynn. Her nemesis, Galien, strains at the leash of the masters' control-his hatred for her placing Alyx and her friends in constant danger. With the world outside DarkSkull under threat from the increasingly restive Shivasa, the powerful Mage Council sees in Alyx a tool for the protection of the mage order. But the more time she spends in the mage world, the less she trusts the council's motives. And as they dig deeper into her mother's life, Alyx and her friends uncover a terrible secret that strikes to the heart of her family and threatens the powerful bond of friendship between them. Can they come together, or will the ruthless world of mages tear them apart?