Syndria is a Healer assigned to heal prisoners in the dungeon because she refused to take part in the king's daily healing ritual. Paodin is a man imprisoned for daring to speak out against the king. When the Royal Wizards enter his cell to finish his torture, Paodin stands to meet them. He speaks of his belief in the Prophecy, the True Wizards, and the true heir being returned to the throne.Then, he vanishes.Syndria was the last person in Paodin's cell, so she is accused of helping him escape. Forced to flee the castle, she finds herself at the mercy of a land into which she hasn't ventured since childhood when her powers were first revealed.The Fates play their part, and Paodin and Syndria are thrust together again. With only the word of a crazy old man as confirmation that they are the two spoken of in the Prophecy, they find themselves leading a rebellion against the king. They soon find out that the king is not the enemy they should be worrying about, though. A power has been released, a sinister Darkness no one has ever seen. They must now fight two wars: one with swords and a far more dangerous one with magic.