Farren has been able to see the shades of the dead since he was three. It's not a talent that makes for a comfortable life; it's an ability considered to be evil. Farren has been shunned, beaten, and belittled all his life. He earns a living as a journeyman cabinetmaker and is more than skilled enough to be a master but he refuses to take the oral testing that is required to become a master. His brother is going into the guard and asks Farren to watch out for his girlfriend Trissa who works in the kitchens, to eat in the dining hall, and to stop acting weird. Farren figures two out of three is good enough. Ghosts are gathering in unheard of numbers, the woman he met in the gardens may be his brother's girl, the royal family is ready to go to Alisandia and last time they went, a plague struck the countryside. Is this why the shades are gathering? Farren knows he must travel with the court but that means he must interact with people.

(Source: Dragon Moon Press)