Sorcha and her friends; Magnus and Edgar are headed to a celebration in the neighbouring village of Ravenoak. Once there, tragedy befalls Sorcha and her friends. Sorcha's friends include a queen, a doctor, a blacksmith, and an assortment of others. They are put to the test, once separated, and trapped. They must rely on their instincts and determination if they are to survive. Hooded figures bring with them murder and destruction on the backs and legs of a ruby cluster of spiders. Betrayal and conspiracy abound as a perceived slight is taken out of proportion. Fathers betray their daughters. Cousins betray their cousins. Many lives will be altered from one meek person's sense of entitlement, along with his hooded henchmen. Rivers of blood will be spilt; terror will be felt; and friends will be lost. Can Sorcha survive long enough to save her friends and Ravenoak from their demise and return her friend Queen Aisling to her rightful place?