Travelling up north to Pirinkar in order to find out who is behind the attempt on the Queen’s life, Eryn and Enric face the challenge of adapting to a culture hostile to magicians. What’s more they have no allies apart from Ambassador Erbál, and even worse they always need to keep in mind that it’s not safe to trust anyone, be they priests, noble families or government. The only one willing to assist them is a person they would much rather keep their distance from. Yet time is running out, and rejecting help becomes a luxury they cannot afford for long. Not if they still want to avoid the war someone seems to be secretly plotting.