On a moonless night in the foothills of Baeli, a Gifted woman named Adaire uses her powers to bring an ancient wizard back to the realm of the living. She needs a teacher and access to magic long forgotten. A vision haunts her, showing her future blocked by the heirs of Telcar. Unwilling to let such prophesies come to pass, she is determined to have them killed. She finds the magic protecting them stronger than expected, though, and her only hope is to coerce this ancient wizard to help her kill them.

A new body and a pact to trade information gain her his aid, but the price is more than she planned. Blinded by her goal to be rid of the heirs, she unwittingly hands the man her life, and he twists her purposes to his own. That he takes on the task of killing the heirs means little when she has become a slave to the power she has resurrected. Adaire can do little but serve him, and hope to survive.

In Telcar, a land of peace and prosperity, the two heirs know nothing of the danger they face. Living in a world where being Gifted with magic is a mixed blessing, Arienne and Vienna Deltares explore their magic in secret. Both heirs know they could be so much more with an education in Mandora, but they fear leaving their father, who was devastated after their mother's death. Instead, they use the journals their mother left behind and the occasional guidance of a family friend to learn what they can of their unique Abilities. Living amid the bustling activity of the palace, they keep mostly to themselves.

After a morning of lessons and lectures, Arienne and Vienna meet in the gardens for some peace before lunch. They are discussing which guard has caught Arienne's eye when a spherical doorway opens up across the gardens and an armed man comes charging towards them. Vienna pushes her elder sister out of harm’s way and fends off the assassin for a few terrifying seconds before the guards take control.

The guards subdue and interrogate the assassin, but he reveals nothing other than he was sent to kill the heirs. King Alden Deltares, furious at the attempt on his daughters’ lives, sentences him to be executed. Soon after, the assassin’s body is found ripped apart. The only clue is a circular burn mark imbedded into the stone of his cell, identical to the mark left in the gardens where the man first appeared. The implication is clear: such portals could be opened anywhere. Despite his skilled guards and the magical protections his late wife placed on his daughters before her death, King Alden fears another attack and knows no way to prevent it.

News of the attack reaches Mandora, the secluded city where those with the Gift receive an education in the magical arts. The L’Acriotte, ruler of Mandora, suggests the heirs be escorted to the city where they can be better protected. The journey to Mandora will not be an easy one, even with Gifted guides.

Using a touch of magic and skillful evasion, they slip out of the capital at dawn, making their way east toward the hidden portal. They evade several attacks during the journey, even killing a Gifted wizard who confronts them. But he is just a henchman and the attacks do not end with his death.

Adaire, having watched each of the failed attacks unfold from afar, and is finally permitted to kill the heirs herself. She now knows where the girls are headed, and needs only to track them down. Just as Arienne and Vienna reach the portal that will take them to Mandora, Adaire finds them. Neither girl has been formally trained in using their magic, and Adaire is confident that she can defeat them in a face-to-face confrontation.

The time has come for the heirs to defend themselves, or die. In battle each heir uses their Gift and skill with a blade to protect themselves. Like the pounding surf, each girl’s magic ebbs and flows, and they take turns delivering strikes, allowing the other to recover from Adaire’s stiff defense. Though Adaire is clearly experienced in such sparring, she finds herself outmatched. Slowly they bring the woman to her knees. The heirs survive the confrontation, taking the rogue wizard into their custody. Weary and homesick, the heirs make plans to finish their journey to Mandora, hoping Adaire will tell them why they are being hunted once she recovers.