Deacon Sorcha Faris has plenty of supernatural problems and also her fair share of real life ones. A terrible riot caused by a geist attack has left her partner and husband badly injured and she is assigned a new partner that she doesnt want. Merrick Chambers is young, talented and tormented by what he saw Sorcha do to his family years before. A good start to any partnership. As Active and Sensitive they are supposed to work seamlessly as a team. Sorcha wonders what their Abbot was thinking.
In the north, the Young Pretender to the throne that Sorchas Emperor now sits on, is struggling to find a safe harbor to make repairs to his ship. When Raed Rossin is offered the isolated village of Ulrich, he is grateful. However he cannot know that his ancient familial curse and the rising threat of the unliving will combine to make this the most dangerous place for him to go.