As Raime prepares for another attack, those with the power to oppose him begin their preparations.
Finally fully healed, Roelle is tasked with helping an ex-soldier recover his skills, but nothing she tries is effective. Worse, she begins to suspect success in the coming war will require her to make an alliance with the Deshmahne, but not all the Magi warriors feel the same.
With the discovery that he is not the last of the damahne, Jakob works with those once afflicted by the madness, trying to awaken their power, knowing they will be the key to victory. He must succeed before Raime steals ahmaean from them as he once tried to take from the damahne. This time, there might be no stopping him. Succeeding requires Jakob to discover the origin of the groeliin for him to confront powerful groeliin unlike any he has ever faced.