The demons have been defeated, along with their masters. At last, the Collen Basin is at peace.

But that peace is a lie. The prince of Mallon is conspiring to wage war on Collen—and young Cally is the only one who knows of his scheme.

He and his new girlfriend Myla rush to the basin to warn them. Yet the Colleners have only just begun to react when the Mallish vanguard arrives in force. Led by Inquisitor Vara, they swiftly take the city's children hostage—and deliver an offer of peace from the king.

With no idea if they can trust this offer, the rebel leaders send Cally and Myla to the Oracle of Kela, hoping the seers can help them avert disaster. Getting to the Oracle is a dizzying nightmare, but the answers it gives Cally will soon send him to an even more hellish trial.

For hell is always deeper than you think. As Myla abandons him to return to Collen, Cally must travel into the deep desert alone. He doesn't even know what he's searching for. Only that the Oracle told him he must.

And that the future of all Collen depends on what he might find there.