Meadow is missing. A spat at home sends Meadow seeking solace in a run through a secluded woodland-an outing from which she doesn't return. Buck's frantic search for his lost love entangles him with a secret centaur cult. Their shaman leader is determined to establish his kind as the pinnacle of sentient creation, even if he must release the spirits of the damned to do so. Meadow is to be their Chosen One, the mare to bring forth their messiah. Buck's only chance of saving her lies in the message of a long-lost manuscript and the mythical creator of the centaurs themselves. But even if Buck succeeds, there's no guarantee Meadow will ever be the same.