Hauberin, ruler of a Faerie princedom, has never lived an easy life. A young man in an ageless court, and (most shamefully) part human, he has been the target of plots from the day he first ascended his throne. But the curse of a dying foe proves more dangerous than any plot. Denied sleep until he dies, Hauberin can break the spell only by learning his mother's father's name—an ancient nomer which may set him free—but destroy him utterly. To that end Hauberin must search Earth, the world from which his mortal mother came, a world where Cold Iron promises hot death to anyone of Faerie, and even the hint of magic can lead to a fiery end.