The story continues from the first book in the series, Beyond Seaside, to follows Will and his three companions.  Their flight from Seaside is evolving instead into a journey to Havla.  None of them actually wants to go to Havla…except maybe for Jornan, who is driven onward by a strange secret he learned even before he left his home.  They all know Havla to be a terrible place—with black mines and slaves, blood-thirsty gangs of enforcers, and something quite sinister inhabiting the great castle.   

And…or so they’ve heard…getting there might be the worst part of all.  But Will is stubbornly determined to try.  Although he is still unable to remember his earlier life, he now knows exactly who he is.  He’s coming to terms with it, which hasn’t been easy.  He’s also coming to accept certain responsibilities.  Most of these happen to await him in Havla. 

His friends insist on coming along.  Their travels take them through wild, uncharted places.  Things get really strange on a stormy night when they take refuge in an (apparently) abandoned cabin.  And they become wondrous with the discovery of a legendary hidden valley.  The return of an ancient gift, new revelations, and the gathering of an unlikely band of allies prepare them to complete the journey.  They come finally to Havla…where they learn that they have been expected.