Maya Bellegarde has spent her entire life searching for a way to break the curse hanging over her and her people. As part of her quest, she volunteers to investigate an anomalous burial at a Swedish archaeological dig where a rare cache of documents has been discovered side by side with an ancient symbol linked to the Seven Sisters, the progenitors of the People. While in Sweden, Maya meets James Terhune, an attractive archaic language expert, and invites him to take on a position at the Institute for Early Cultural Studies, the People's main historical research branch. James is thrilled by the opportunity Maya extends and intrigued by the attraction he feels for her. He soon begins to suspect, however, that the secrets of the grave are minor compared to the secrets Maya holds, secrets that could hamper their burgeoning relationship and cripple the work they've undertaken for the IECS. The People aren't the only ones interested in the newly-discovered documents. An ancient enemy of the People resurfaces, threatening the lives of Maya and James' loved ones, and setting in motion a chain of events that could save the People, or destroy them.