Swift is one of the first Wraeththu born, the older Wraeththu having been mutated from men. We see the new Wraeththu world from his eyes, a world where men are almost extinct and rarely seen. The young Swift can't even comprehend what they are, that they had two genders and only one of them could bear children.

Swift lives in the great house Forever with his hostling, Cobweb, who is both superstitious and adept at magic. His father is not often home, but he has tutors and a friend, Gahrazel, the son of another Varr leader who has come to live with them. He fears change and wishes for everything to remain the same in Forever, but change comes when Cal is found by a patrol and brought back to Forever.

Terzian is still obsessed with Cal, when they last met Terzian wanted Cal to stay in Forever and bear children for him, become his consort like Cobweb. But Cal is frightened of bearing children. While Cal recovers from some experience he won't speak about, the Gelaming arrive on the continent in the south, and the Varrs prepare for more war.

Swift is caught in the sudden politics of Forever, Cobweb hates Cal passionately, jealous of Cal's power over Terzian, and he expects Swift to hate him too. Terzian tries to court Cal while Cal himself seems to ignore the situation, and Swift finds himself sympathising more and more with Cal as they become friends.

Cobweb tries to destroy Cal by restoring the memories he has been hiding from, the memories of when Pellaz was killed, the memories of Cal's revenge on Pell's teacher Orion. It backfires, instead of destroying Cal, it makes him stronger, heals him. He finally accepts Terzian's advances and humiliates Cobweb by consorting with Terzian at a public gathering in Forever. Not long afterward, Cal gave brith to a pearl, the egg that hatches a Wraeththu child.

When the time comes for Swift's Feybraiha, the Wraeththu puberty, a suitable partner must be chosen for first aruna, the losing of virginity. To Swift's discomfort, his body clearly shows that the most appropriate Harr is Cal.

Not long afterward, Gahrazel confesses to Swift that he will be defecting to join the Gelaming, putting Swift in a very awkward position. Swift sends an anonymous message to Terzian, betraying his friend to a horrible death. Terzian leaves to battle the Gelaming in the south, but does not return, leaving Cal and Cobweb in a situation that cannot be sustained. Cal gives Cobweb back the other side of his sexuality, Varr consorts are never the active partners, repressing half of their nature, but Cal draws forth that side of Cobweb, sealing a new friendship.

A series of dreams and strange events make it clear that Cal and Swift must journey south as well. They encounter many strange tribes on the way, but confront their own fears in a forest outside the Gelaming camp. Cal is taken away, but Swift is given special treatment, training in the magical arts that the Varrs have neglected, and is wooed to join them.

While working on his training, he is aware of Seel, a beautiful Harr who knew Cal years earlier. He is attracted to Seel to the point of obsession, but believes that Seel must despise him for being one of the Varrs. He knows now that the Varrs are violent and cruel, and considered to be little more than savages.

The culmination of his training is to be ritual aruna, and his partner will be Seel. It only then that he realises that Seel has felt the same way, and that they are in fact in love, an emotion not encouraged amongst Wraeththu. They return together to Forever, with the Gelaming. A bloodless coup.

Seel bears their pearl while in Forever, before they all go north to finish off the remaining Varr in the city of Fulminir. They use the power gather during the ritual to destroy the walls and freeze the inhabitants into immobility. When they enter the city it is full of horros, torture and murder, and it is there that Swift finally meets Thiede.

Although Swift knows by now that Pellaz is not dead, but is the leader of the Gelaming, still everyone seems to defer to Thiede, and now Swift learns that Thiede is the Aghama, the original Wraeththu who began their race.