Betrayed by a trusted ally and cut off from any magical assistance, Taliesin Weaver's friends face their greatest challenge yet: can they defeat evil forces of unimaginable power without Tal to lead them? Some of them have been captured already. Others have been magically warped into enemies. The only hope of those who remain may be to join forces with Dark Me, Tal's evil alter ego. Considering his track record, that's not much of a choice-but if they don't join him, they may be dooming Olympus, Annwn, and even Earth.Nor is that their only dilemma. Tal's friends find him-but so altered he can't help them. In fact, he desperately needs their help. However, finding a way to save him may mean losing the time they need to save everyone else. They might be able to save both Tal and the world, but only if they trust a stranger with powerful magic-and a hidden agenda.In a universe in which nothing is what it seems, will making a deal with the shadow assassins save Tal's friends or damn them?