Kidnapped and confined to a room in a castle before she can develop her flying and magical skills, Alida the faerie patiently plans her escape--with the help of a human boy.
Having escaped from the tower where she was trapped, the faerie Alida and her human helper Gavin try to elude capture by Lord Dunraven's men while they search for Alida's family.
Katie Rose, taken in by the Stevenses after the death of her parents, dreams of escaping the hard work and dreariness of her life by going to live with her uncle in the west, and when her caretaker leaves her Katie tries to make the trip on her own.
In alternate chapters, Sadima travels from her farm home to the city and becomes assistant to a heartless man who is trying to restore knowledge of magic to the world, and a group of boys fights to survive in the academy that has resulted from his efforts.
With Moonsilver the unicorn disguised in armor, young Heart Avamir, searching for her Gypsy friends, attempts to travel unnoticed through the crowds gathered for the crowning of a new lord.
