Witch Spinners possess the gift of creating conjuring cloths, a revered tool that channels energy two ways instead of one. A user of such a piece wields great power. Larissa North Strondovan's family is one of the remaining few who can create such a fine magical tool, but an old quarrel with the South Hawthorne clave has left her family despised and scattered to different parts of the earth. The discord between the two claves has reverberated to such a degree that the world teeters on the brink of permanent chaos and darkness. With her family in hiding, Larissa has been raised in a loving adopted family and become skilled in witchcraft under the tender tutelage of her aunt, Dorenda, who has taught her in secret. Her peaceful world is disrupted when the governing body of witches names her as the current heir who will help right the old wrong between the families. August South Hawthorne is dismayed to learn he will be Larissa's companion in an urgent quest to determine what happened and return a stolen relic to its rightful owner. Overcoming old prejudices nearly drives August mad. Larissa's cool resolve can only temper their relationship to a certain limit. Trusting each other is nearly impossible. As they travel, their quest slowly unveils into a palpable reality that threatens to overcome their greatest magical abilities. August and Larissa learn certain confounding truths about each other. Behind all their efforts is a dark force working to overturn everything they had formerly trusted and believed.