Tamlin is one of the Fairlies, a tribe of Fair Folk with magical powers and eternal youth. As Watcher for the Ettrick clan, Tam guards his family's home in Dunbar Woods. His orderly life descends into turmoil when his sister, the clan's Storyteller, runs away and elopes. Their mother, the cold and powerful Queen Morna, accuses Tam of negligence and threatens to throw him into the dark and mysterious Pit. To avoid this terrifying punishment, Tam makes a rash bargain: he will find a human girl to become the new Storyteller.