Maddened by the fact that several people closest to her are in possession of a gift, Gwendolyn de Valles becomes obsessed with gaining one for herself. When she learns of a magic festival held in the forests of Darth, she knows she will go to any length to attend, even if that means disguising as a boy and running away. Her plans go awry when one of Herfordshire's defenders, Gavin Dekever, discovers her trying to escape the castle grounds and quickly thwarts her attempt. She knows that when he delivers her to her brother, King Terric, and informs him of her plans, he will never grant her permission to attend the magic festival. But Gwendolyn is stubborn and refuses to take no for an answer. King Terric reluctantly agrees to let her go, insisting that Gavin go along to protect her. But though the man vexes her to no end, even the thought of such deplorable company cannot keep her from her desire to attend the festival, where she is sure her dreams of obtaining a gift will finally be realized. On her quest for a gift, Gwendolyn will discover that magic has a dark side, and she will be forced to evaluate how much she is willing to sacrifice to obtain one. Join Gwendolyn and Gavin as they begin a journey of discovery that will lead them places neither of them had ever planned to go, and discover that perhaps the greatest of gifts has nothing to do with magic at all, but something much more powerful.