When Doctor Jayla Tralukan fails to cure a child, she is betrayed by her best friend as being the daughter of the couple burnt at the stake twenty-six years ago. A couple accused of magic, shapeshifting, and witchcraft, and killing the former queen. The people of Djambadora are superstitious and dwell in fear of magic and shapeshifters. When the gossip flies that she is the daughter of the couple who killed the queen, they ready a pyre to give her the same fate. All Jayla wants is to defend herself, to stand trial. But the gods and her grandfather have something else in store for her.