Something snapped. He let the arrow fly. The night Thomas Rhymer's young sister is stolen away by shadows and smoke, he discovers there's more to life than the fields and forests he knows so well. If he has any hope of rescuing Alissa, he must first cross into a realm where magic is lifeblood, and where shadows dance with dragonfire. With the help of the seelie faery Thistledown, Thomas embarks on a treacherous quest, deep into the heart of war-raved Albion. But getting his sister back means pledging aid to Mab, the usurped Queen of the Old Ways, against the tyranny of the Dark Prince. Yet danger and deceit lie around every corner, and some secrets are better left untold.