In the world of Aratay, all of the spirits are controlled by the queen. She alone protects the villages and the citizens from the vengeful spirits. As added protection, younger women from the surrounding villages who show similar powers attend the Academy to train and become potential heirs to the queen.
Daleina lives in one of the smaller outer villages. Even though the queen is said to have control over all of the spirits, Daleina’s village is maliciously attacked by violent spirits. Daleina unknowingly uses her powers to protect and save her family from the attack. When Daleina and her family emerge from their house, they realize everything is destroyed and nearly everyone has perished. Daleina’s family encourages her to attend the Academy to hone her powers. Reluctantly, she agrees, and heads off to the Academy to train.
Upon arriving at the academy, Daleina discovers very quickly that while she has talent, she’s easily at the bottom of her class. However, while she has some of the weakest power, she manages to continue to excel by using a combination of hard work, determination, and strategizing.
Champion Ven was there the day Daleina’s village was attacked. After witnessing the massacre, he goes to Queen Fara, and pleads with her to tell the council. Not only does she refuse, but she also discredits him, and forces him into exile. Since being in exile, Ven has been fighting an ever growing amount of rogue spirits and attacks on multiple villages. He continues fighting, until one day he receives a note from the headmistress, urging his return to the academy. Upon his return, the headmistress requests he take on a new heir to train, in case the attacks continue and the queen falls. Ven grudgingly agrees, and makes an unexpected choice: Daleina. Even though the headmistress questions his choice, Ven is adamant on choosing Daleina as his protégé.
Once chosen, Daleina quickly realizes that while Ven is training her to be an heir, he’s also preparing her for the growing horrors outside the school. Daleina and Ven team up with an eager assistant healer and a wolf to save the villages, get Daleina trained, and make sure the queen doesn’t lose the small amount of control she has left.
Daleina, a student training at the academy to learn how to use her powers, isn’t the best in her class, but has the most to fight for. Former champion Ven has spent his exile secretly protecting small villages and fighting the ever growing number of rogue spirits. When Ven chooses to mentor Dalenia, they’re pushed to the brink not only to partner up and train, but continue to hunt down spirits and remember who the true enemy is.