Against all odds, Brynn and Cenric have made a life for themselves in the rugged land of Ombra. The young lovers are thriving, and the shire is flourishing under their rule, but kings do not forget the favors owed to them. Years ago, Cenric was given the warriors to retake his ancestral homeland by the warlord who united the fractured Valdari islands into a single kingdom. Claiming friendship, the warlord turned king now invites Cenric and Brynn to Valdar as his guests for the largest gathering of the year. Not wishing to offend him, Cenric and Brynn accept, but quickly realize that it is not mere friendship that the Valdari king wants. Caught in a web of ambition, lies, and tangled oaths, Brynn and Cenric soon realize that all is not well in Valdar and there are secrets even its king does not know. When new intrigue awakens an ancient evil, Brynn and Cenric must fight to protect the things they have come to love and the very existence of not one, but two kingdoms.