Armed with new weapons and a newfound confidence, Nearra and her friends plan to confront the wizard Maddoc. But before they can reach Cairngorn Keep, a skeletal griffin kidnaps Nearra and delivers her directly into the wizard’s hands.

As Maddoc prepares the final spell to unleash the Emergence, Davyn and the others struggle to rescue Nearra. But in the confines of Maddoc’s keep, appearances deceive. Friends become enemies. Dark dreams become reality. And naive Nearra may not be as innocent as she seems.