Synopsis: From the back cover of the Bantam Spectra printing: For years the provinces of Deverry have been in turmoil; now the conflict escalates with the kidnapping of Rhodry Maelwaedd, heir to the throne of Aberwyn. Intent on rescuing him, his beloved Jill and the elven wizard Salamander infiltrate the distant land of Bardek, where Rhodry is held captive. Tied to Deverry by obligation and circumstance, the immortal wizard Nevyn begins to see that all the kingdom's problems can be traced to a single source: a master of dark magics, back by a network of evil that stretches across the sea. Now Nevyn understands that he too is being lured away to Bardek - and into a subtle, deadly trap designed especially for him.