Following The Sorceress and the Cygnet, Patricia A. McKillip returns with the sorceress Nyx and her niece Meguet. Together, the duo must face down a pair of mysterious magicals: a mage hell-bent on stealing a hidden treasure, and a firebird who transforms people and objects into precious materials.

Each dawn, the firebird transforms into the form of a man, able to disappear into the surrounding town. As they seek out the true identity of the firebird and try to keep the powerful mage from achieving its ultimate prize, Nyx and Meguet set out on an adventure that will take them through various enchanted and alluring realms.