In the Year of Our Lord 665, in the village of Muman, the Venerable Dacán, a beloved religious scholar, has been found brutally murdered. His friend, the impetuous ruler of a neighboring Irish kingdom, vows merciless revenge...

Sister Fidelma has been summoned back to her homeland of Muman. To prevent a war, she must find the murderer before the king's anger falls on her land. But Fidelma soon discovers more sinister forces at work: political intrigue, deception, and a shroud of terror that surrounds young innocents connected to the killing. And if the truth isn't discovered soon, justice may be lost forever in the din of war...