Allen sets out on an overdue trip home to the eastern capitalânot just to his studentsâ dismay, but to his own as well. Heâs been hiding his failure to become a court sorcerer from his parents, so despite his sisterâs assurances, he finds himself dreading their reunion. Family problems are far from the only troubles awaiting him in his hometown, howeverâsimmering tensions between the cityâs large beastfolk population and its haughty human aristocracy are about to boil over, and hard-liners on both sides take a dim view of Allenâs status as an adopted member of the wolf clan. Meanwhile, the disgraced Prince Gerard hasnât learned from his last defeat, and his rumored rebellion threatens to pull the tutor into a deadly web of conspiracy. Will the unexpected addition of Tina, Ellie, Lynne, and (of course) Lydia be enough to see Allen through his most physicallyâand politicallyâdangerous adventure yet?