Seeking warriors to swell the Winter Kingdome's dismal ranks is a task better suited for Eristta's missing brother. Any task is better than skulking around the palace proper waiting to be attacked by the wicked sorcerer, Garethan. When she discovers that her other brother and his closest friend, the deliciously handsome and enigmatic Red Claw, have set her on a simple errand to keep her out of danger, the elfin princess vows to bring back more than a few ragtag outcasts to aid their cause. Any man, or bear, who tries to stop her will find that he has met his match. Charged as emissary of the Winter Kingdome, powerful shaman and shapeshifter Red Claw sets off to seek the aid of the other three Kingdomes. Yet his body and mind are fractured with needs he has worked to suppress for well over two centuries. Dangerous obsessions haunt him. Should he succumb to this desire, it could bring about a cataclysmic event foreseen in a prophetic vision during his first days in Tir n na-Og. As Red Claw and Eristta battle inner and outer demons and their growing bond, they find a magic that can save their world…if they can learn to manage it. If they cannot, all may be lost.