1171 AD, Orkney Islands. Vor loves working with the horses bred and trained by her father. And yet, she longs to participate in something that is larger than herself, to follow in her mother and great grandmother's footsteps. They were the first MacAoidh women to be "chosen by the Goddess" and marked by a spiral birthmark that makes them a part of the Goddess Prophecy. But only the first-born daughter can participate, and Vor was born second. Her older sister, Aila wants nothing to do with the charge, which involves a mystical Druid book that has suddenly disappeared. Vor worries about the Goddess's warning for those who do not complete her charge. When Vor and her elder sister are overheard having a conversation regarding her father's horse-breeding business and the possible involvement of her father in slave trade activity in the sea caves on her father's property, Vor fears her father's financial ruin if he is found guilty. It couldn't have come at a worse time, as her sister's wedding to Armand, a Frenchman with some influence is being planned. A skilled horsewoman, Vor is surprised to be invited to participate in a horse race sponsored by Louis, King of France - against Vivienne (Vivi) le Clerc and Ivor, the rare cream-colored horse, who is partly owned by Armand's father. Vor has a vision that leaves her wary of the sea voyage, but eventually, she can't say no to all that money - money that may save her father's business. But all is not as it should be. Someone is trying to poison Vivi. They must figure out what all the clues lead up to ... before it's too late for all of them.