About the book: 2001 / For several centuries now, magic has been banned in Gwynnedd. The bearers of magic - the Deryni - are cursed by the church: it is forgotten that they were once called the saviors of the country. King Brion Haldane dies unexpectedly in the prime of his life. Only one of his close associates, the young Lord Alaric, a secret Deryni, knows that the cause of Brion's death was a magical attack. Will he be able to help young Prince Kelson gain the power of the Haldanes, or will he be the next weak-willed victim??