After generations of struggle to protect the unique native culture of Darkover from the ambitions of the ruthless Terran Federation, the Terrans have finally been forced to abandon Darkover due to interstellar civil war. As Lew Alton wrestles with the dark shadows from his past, his daughter Marguerida's psychic Gifts warn of her of impending danger. But danger to whom? Her husband Mikhail as powerful head of the Hastur Domain is her most obvious worry, for many would stand to gain from his demise. Her son Domenic searches for his place in a world of shifting loyalties, torn by his love for two very different women and troubled by his destiny as the heir to Hastur. But while Darkover's powerful rulers face their personal demons, desperate refugees flood the streets of Thendara, Darkover's capital city, for in the mountains and ancient menace is once again on the rise - a power against which neither sword nor the psychic sorcery of Darkover can prevail.
On Darkover, it is the era of the Hundred Kingdoms - a time of nearly continuous war and bloody disputes between minor kings who seek to increase their power by usurping their neighbours' domains. A time when Towers are conscripted to produce terrifying laran weapons - weapons which kill from afar, poisoning the very land itself for decades to come. In this dark time, there seems no limit to the violence men are willing to wage against their adversaries in the name of power.
But in this terrifying time of greed and imperialism, two powerful men have devoted their lives to changing their world and eliminating these terrible weapons. For years King Carolin of Hastur and his close friend, Varzil Ridenow have dreamed of a world without war. Now they petition the domains of Darkover to adopt a decree that they call the Compact. Their Compact, a law based on honour, will ban all distance weapons, thus forcing one who seeks to kill another to fight hand to hand and face equal risk.
But while Varzil and Carolin continue their difficult campaign to bring peace to Darkover, another man hides in the alleys of Thendara, biding his time, and plotting the destruction of these two heroic men. For Eduin Delucido, the renegade laranzu who disappeared during the battle which nearly destroyed Hestral Tower, still lives . . . and lives only to see the demise of Carolin Hastur and his entire clan!
High in the mountainous Hellers, Corin Leynier, adolescent son of a minor nobleman, wakes from a nightmare of ravening forest fire, only to find that the fire is real. Running toward the fire lines, Corin fights to suppress waves of nausea and dizziness - feelings that have become more and more frequent over the passing months - to help his kinsmen. As the inhabitants of Verdanta lands, nobleman and commoner alike, struggle hopelessly to contain the worst fire in memory, all seems lost, and Verdanta doomed by uncontrollable flames, until help arrives unexpectedly in the person of Rumail, laranzu of Neskaya Tower. At Rumail's summoning, Tramontana Tower sends fire-fighting chemicals carried by air-glider, and the fire is finally contained.
But Rumail has not come to Verdanta on an errand of mercy. He has come with the express intention of testing the Leynier children for laran potential, and quickly realizes that Colin is in the throes of "threshold sickness," a potentially deadly illness that accompanies the awakening of powerful laran. He offers to monitor Corin, and arang for him to enter Tramontana Tower for training. But durig Rumail's examination, Corin senses something terribly wrong - he knows that Rumail has implanted a seed of evil deep within his mind - yet when he wakes, he finds he cannot speak of it.
For unknown to the Leyniers, Rumail is the nedestro brother of the powerful and corrupt King Damian Deslucido. Damian has enlisted the help of his laranzu brother in his plans of conquest - plans to unite all Darkover under one tyrannical rule - his own - and Rumail will stop at nothing - not even unethical use of his telepathic powers - to help his brother achieve his bloody and vainglorious aim.
Thus begins the second novel in Marion Zimmer Bradley and Deborah J. Ross' monumental Clingfire trilogy - the epic story of a cataclysmic time in the history of Marion Zimmer Bradley's Darkover.
The era of the Hundred Kingdoms was a time when power-hungry petty monarchs abounded on this frigid and magical world - a time of uncontrolled war and lawless disregard for all but the most imperialistic of political aims. a legendary friendship is forged between king and keeper which will lead to a new destiny for Darkover.
Regis Hastur was the heir to the most powerful domain on Darkover. When his grandfather died he would inherit the title Hastur of Hastur, Regent of Darkover - king in everything but name. But ironically, this mantle was the last thing Regis had ever wanted. For he dreamed of a different kind of life - a life with the freedom to live and love like an ordinary man, without the expectations and responsibilities of his position.
Yet even Regis recognized Darkover's desperate need for strong, rational leadership - leadership he had been trained to provide. But now that his time was at hand, was Regis willing to make the personal sacrifices necessary to lead his world? Or would he turn away from his destiny and finally make his real dreams come true? For on his grandfather's deathbed Regis learns that he has a brother - an older half-brother who could finally relieve Regis of the burden of title he had never wanted ...Would Regis finally let himself be free to be the man he had always dreamed of being?
