A new school year has begun, and the crisp autumn air promises not only a spectacular foliage season but an exciting new phase in Darian’s life. He’s starting his second year of teaching at the prestigious Birchwood Academy and has recently moved in with his partner, Sheriff Argo Sullivan. Changes have come to campus, too, though not all of them are welcome. Darian’s two new colleagues seem competent and dedicated, but why are they really at Birchwood? Meanwhile, a secret student group has been meeting in an abandoned building on campus. Rumors swirl of strange rituals, sinister intentions, and even a possible stalker. When two students turn up with mysterious injuries they refuse to explain, Darian braces for trouble. Sure enough, he soon discovers a murder victim in an underground stone chamber, surrounded by bizarre occult-style symbols. Suspects include two of Darian’s most promising students, several of his fellow teachers, and even Birchwood’s headmistress and her mysterious houseguest. Darian knows that if he doesn’t help Argo crack the case quickly, some members of the Birchwood community might not survive the fall semester.