Jean Baptist Nansél chose a hermit's life since his adolescence; he retired into a cave on the high and wild mountains of Queyras, southward Embrun, important diocese ruled by the Bishop-Prince Aymon.

Nansél grew old in solitude, and unexpectedly receives the crowning achievement of a lifetime's dream: a Holy Relic, offered to him by an astonishing beautiful woman who can appear and disappear to his sight.

But the Relic, a Chalice - The Holy Chalice - is a tempting prize for many people, first of all Bishop Aymon, who puts the hermit in prison - and falls seriously ill.

Amboise de Montsalvy rushes to try and save him; as usual, he is escorted by young Artemisia, Colin Bois the mercenary captain, and Illait from Isley, holder of the Druids' ancient wisdom.

They are involved into a situation where nothing is like it seems: Nansél is just an instrument, and the mysterious apparition is very different from what the hermit thinks.

Out of devotion, the wolf-hunters of Queyras set him free, holding Artemisia, Colin and Illait as hostages; this coup de main tightens the first knot into a net woven a long time before - involving Soinette, teenager daughter of Risoul the Wolf, the hunters' leader.

The wonderful woman does exist in flesh and blood: she is Maude de Belley, forced first by her family to become an abbess, then forced to leave the convent of Sainte Madaleine in Vezeley - by Illait, whom she plans to bind to herself, forever.

Illait and Maude join battle, running through forests and snow-covered mountains, plunging into the young Druid's past and into a timeless place where anything can - or cannot - be real. It's a fight amongst the luminous and the shadowy sides of the Power - the same power that Illait and Maude possess - making them both persecuted into a world by now laboriously converted to Christianity.

Struggles don't spare even innocent people like Nansél, but the story shall end in a surprising way, with a great hope.

Nothing is like it seems.

Not for Bishop-Prince Aymon d'Embrun, who can please his people and himself with a false Relic, not for Maude, Artemisia and Soinette, the women who own the thin spark of Illait's life.

Light and darkness can merge, and then darkest shadow can become light. And bring Regeneration.