As the cleansing fires of Beltain burned and the villagers danced, Maere cu Llwyr witnessed the garrote murder of her parents at the hands of her father's brother. Born with the triple signs of the goddess, legend tells that whoever shares Maere's bed first will also share her healing power—and her uncle, Eugis, has vowed it will be he. With her mother and father out of his way, he hides Maere in a convent with plans to retrieve—and bed her—on her eighteenth birthday.Maere carries no memory of the horrific events of that Beltain night. All she knows of her childhood is contained in remnants of dreams and a growing ability to heal through touch. Fearing she'll be punished for this power, she hides herself away from the scrutiny of the nuns, determined to discover the secrets of her past so she might better understand the present and where her future lies...