After her adventures with the League of the Healing Hand, Finn the Cat finds life at Castle Rurach overwhelmingly boring and dreads the prospect of being molded into a "lady" by her mother, until she is summoned by Lachlan the Winged to embark on a perilous quest into the Forbidden Land to rescue a rebellious prophet who holds the key to the kingdom's salvation.
In the land of Eileanan, the Pact of Peace has not meant the end of unrest. And, though Isabeau would like to return home to help her family in these uncertain times, she must first venture to the Skull of the World where she will discover her true talents as a witch. And when she does return home, she does so transformed with the power to overcome her family's enemies once and for all.
In Eileanan, the sea-dwelling Fairgain have refused to sign the Pact of Peace. Driven by ancient hatreds, they have devoted themselves to destroying all who dwell upon the land. To help bring peace, Iseult's flame-haired twin Isabeau must face her most difficult challenge yet.
In the Celtic land of Eileanan, witches and magic have been outlawed, and those caught for practicing witchcraft are put to death! It is a land ruled by an evil Queen, where sea-dwelling Fairgean stir, and children vanish in the night. But in a valley deep in the mountains, young Isabeau grows to womanhood under the guidance of an elderly witch, and must set out on a quest, carrying the last hopes of the persecuted witches.
Meghan o' the Beasts and her young charge Isabeau are outcasts in a land where magic has been outlawed. But the pair is soon separated, and Isabeau is wounded by witchfinders, and saved by a group of Samaritans. Meghan sets out to find Isabeau's warrior-trained twin, Iseult, and a missing prince living under an ancient curse. Separately, the two parties must make their way through a land where magic is punished by death, seeking allies to spread the news--that the Witches are returning, and the Queen and her evil must fall.
