Two women, ensnared by the conspiracies of their rulers, become reluctant allies in a dangerous quest. Monsters, sorcerers and treacherous journeys all await Tevi on her quest to find the stolen chalice. If this isn't enough, her search leads her to join forces with Jemeryl, a tempestuous sorcerer who dreams only of the day when she will have completed her studies and be able to return to the sanctuary of Lyremouth, with her books and her research.