Love and wizardry don't mix - and neither do magic and the church. When the wizard Daimbert discovers the woman he loves is going to marry someone else, he flees to the nearby city of Caelrhon. Even though strange creatures of wild magic have been spotted in the city, no one wants him there, not the bishop of the cathedral, not the crown prince, not the city council, not even the masters of institutionalized wizardry. But Daimbert senses sinister forces at work, and besides, he's just met a very intriguing witch....