The God of Darkness rises... Kalea has found Dorhen at the heart of a strange cult that worships Wikshen as a living deity. There, he dwells in a euphoric haze, enthralled by witches clamoring to receive his blessing. If Kalea fails to free him from this poisonous society, Dorhen may lose not only his identity to the sinister entity possessing him, but his life...even his very soul. Yet Kalea's own divided loyalties put him at greater risk when she, Bowaen, Del, and Gaije resume the search for Mhina and the missing novices. Back in Norr, Lehomis's suspicions of corruption within the Desteer grow deeper and more disturbing. Members of the enigmatic order are supposed to act as spiritual guides for his people, but the Desteer maidens are imposing strange new rules and rituals that go against ancient custom. Soon, even Lehomis himself begins to crack under the pressures of leadership, and it may be up to Tirnah to steady him despite the nagging secret she harbors. Meanwhile, Kingsorcerer Lamrhath grows more powerful, yet more crippled by pain every day. His desperation drives him to seek a cure for his debilitating illness even as his plans to conquer the continent accelerate. With an army of sanguinesent demons summoned to do his bidding, the kingsorcerer intends to recapture Wikshen once and for all. For even though Wikshen may believe he is a god, Lamrhath knows-as do the witches-that he's simply a weapon to be wielded by those with true power. And out in the Darklandic wilds, a weathered wanderer journeys toward the Ilbith stronghold. Although he wears a hood with the word "mercy" scrawled in paint across the front, he seeks vengeance for all he has lost...