Charles Wise, a twelve year old boy from Massachusetts is transported to planet Cambium by the dryad Heartwood. Heartwood informs Charles about Cambium's harrowing past. He explains how Domin, a ruthless cybernetic dog eradicated his former masters, the humans of Cambium. Humans discarded nature and it responded violently. The planet went through a supernatural evolutionary change. Realigning itself, creating new resilient species such as witches and warlocks. Charles meets the Witches of Larista befriending one named Vesta, who struggles with her mother's untimely death. Vesta tells Charles about Cynad, a once beloved witch matriarch who orchestrated the escape of witches from their oppressive warlock husbands. She risked her life holding clandestine meetings to teach reading to witches, an illegal practice in Linz. She encouraged witches to practice their powers in private, an act of defiance but a means for escape to the mountains of Larista. Eventually Cynad becomes an outcast, when she could not see past her own hatred. Heartwood tells Charles about their planet's uncertain future. Aliens recently landed on Cambium unleashing a virus which fossilizes dryads. Heartwood's plan is to return to the alien ship to stop the virus. Heartwood is taking Charles not on a magical journey but on a mission. Accompanying Heartwood are the witches of Larista, the elves of Delvinport and the gnomes of Krow. Unbeknownst to Charles, he is the key to Cambium's salvation, if he can learn to love Cambium as his home. When Domin finds out a human walks the lands, breaking Cambium law, he'll stop at nothing to ensure Charles is destroyed. His vengeance puts every living creature at risk of contracting this insidious virus. It is a race against time and the outcome could be catastrophic for Cambium.