William of Brinlaw's demands that Henry II restore his birthright fall on deaf ears -- until the mysterious death of Brinlaw's current lord. Eager to maintain his hard-won peace, the new king deeds the estate to William, provided he marries his enemy's daughter. Bearing a false proclamation that their union was her father's last wish, William journeys home, where he is unexpectedly bewitched by his bride. Lady Alista stuns him with her trust and burns him with the fire of her kiss. And though he knows she will soon despise him, he weds and beds her before she can learn the truth.

Grief-stricken, Alista opens her heart to Will only to see their future threatened by treachery and the unnatural call of a heritage she can neither understand nor deny. Haunted by visions, she is drawn to the ruins of Falconskeep, where the women of her bloodline find their destiny. It is there Will must go to save her -- if he can find the faith to battle a force that defies a warrior's sword yet may yield to the power of love.