Following a fierce battle, Grau's life hangs in the balance. Velsa seeks healing and refuge in the land of Laionesse, only to learn that Grau's injuries may be beyond help--unless Velsa and her friends can beg a favor from the great necromancer Dormongara, who lives alone in a castle on a mountain and is notoriously unkind to visitors. Indeed, the steep price he demands will have unexpected consequences, bringing an old nemesis back into Velsa's life...