Ivike lives in a village of pagans in the middle of a witching forest, and among all the inhabitants, she is the only one who is devoid of magical gift. For her people, she is an outcast, rejected by the gods. Therefore, it is she who is given to the Hunters: the king's servants, who have come for the pagan girl to take her to the capital and offer her as a sacrifice.
But the path through the ancient forest is dangerous: monsters attack the Hunters on the way. Only Ivike and the cold one-eyed captain Gashpar remain alive, and to escape the forest, they must trust each other.
Thus, Ivike learns that Gashpar is a fallen prince, and he wants to stop his fanatical brother, who longs to seize the throne and eliminate pagans throughout the country with fire and sword. Ivike and Gashpar form a shaky alliance; their mutual hatred gradually turns into affection, as both are all too familiar with what it means to be outcasts. But will their affection prove stronger than the enmity of their peoples? And will they be able to carry it through all the hardships of a long journey and the flame of war?
