Against great odds, 13-year-old Cerinthe Gale, a commoner from the outer regions of the kingdom, is chosen to study at the Royal School of Dance of Windward. She feels that she is on the way to fulfilling the dreams that her late mother had for her. This is important, for Cerinthe feels responsible for her death. As her mother lay desperately ill, the girl, a beginning folk healer, treated her with a dangerous drug, and the woman died. At the dance school, she meets Elliana, a wealthy and talented classmate who takes an immediate dislike to Cerinthe. As the rivalry between these two builds to its devastating climax, Cerinthe struggles to understand why she does not find fulfillment in dancing, and why she no longer hears the song of the Goddess Sea Maid.