Arcady lies on the Borders, with their ancient ruins and wondrous artifacts. But the Hawken family, owners of the magnificent house and its plantations, know how perilous they can be. Those who venture too close to the Borders risk disappearing forever into the Absences, voids where the fabric of reality unravels. And sometimes, as now, the Absences approach the grounds of Arcady and threaten its very existence.