Smoke that does not rise. Hens that do not lay eggs. Cows that give sour milk. And a little girl abducted from her bed in the middle of the night. For the girl's father, it's clear evidence the Fey have breached the geas that bound them beyond the veil between worlds. For Lucas Veritatus, ex-Sheriff of the North Country, it is just enough to draw him out of retirement to investigate. For Avenyë of the Ronami, a lawless tribe beyond the reach of the king, it is evidence that whoever is abducting Ronami children, her sister included, has now struck the realm as well.
First to the Witch of the Great Wood, and then across the Dragon's Ridge mountains into the territory of the lawless, Lucas and Avenyë must join forces in an unlikely pairing to solve the mystery. Who is stealing the children, murdering their parents, and leaving the mysterious Eye of Darkness marks throughout the land? Have the Fey found a way to cross the veil? Or is some other darkness at work? And will Lucas and Avenyë's own dark secrets drive them into each other's arms, or thrust them forever apart?