Mia has been suffering from the same nightmare for many nights.  She and Aden decide to go pay Joey a visit to see if she can interpret the dream.  Joey predicts something foreboding in Mia’s future, but refuses to specify anything more, despite angry words from Aden.  Meanwhile, Ariadne, plagued by the presence of War, sets off, leaving the House for the Tin Roof for a weeklong mission.

Two nights later, Mia passes out and begins to levitate, glowing with a red aura.  After she returns to normal and consciousness, Valero discovers that an ancient demon’s soul, Reidna, is inside of Mia’s body.  He explains that a thousand years ago, Reidna threatened to destroy all of Shaldani.  Mages were successful in destroying her body, but she cast a spell upon herself before she died.  Her soul would awaken inside of a full-blooded mage’s body a thousand years later.  In order to be reawakened, on the next full moon after the Dark Nightmare, a ritual must take place.  Mia has already had the Dark Nightmare, according to Valero's research.

The anniversary of the Maze Island Rebellion comes around and as Tranns and Adriana watch in horror, Aden becomes drunker and drunker.  When he sobers up, he tells Mia about why he drinks a lot once a year.  They comfort each other, but soon after Mia passes out and begins glowing again for a few seconds.  Aden calls a meeting with the intention of finding a cure for Mia.  Before they can do much, however, two Ebene officers arrive and kidnap Mia.  Adriana orders Aden, Jesse, Pfalz, and Amorette to go rescue her, putting Jesse in command of the mission as Aden's temperment deteriorates.  Nevertheless, before the team departs, Adriana gives Aden a special dagger, tipped with a solution she believes and remove a soul from possession.

The four make it to the stronghold, but not in time.  They arrive to watch in horror as the reawakening ritual takes place.  Mia transforms into Reidna.  Furrer Imar, the Ebene officer who performed the ritual, attempts to steal Reidna’s soul to add more power to the Ebene.  Reidna responds by destroying the soul-sucking machine and crushing him with it.  She then beings trying to kill the other four.  Aden, as a last resort, stabs Reidna’s foot with Adriana's dagger.  This causes Reidna’s soul to leave Mia’s body.  Pfalz orders the others to take Mia out of the stronghold.  As the four leave, Pfalz finds Reidna’s soul and gives it to the dying Furrer Imar.

The next morning, Aden, Philip, and Tranns set off for one of Aden's black market contacts with the intention of buying some supplies that will prevent Mia from being possessed again.  While looking around, they discover a box of Ariadne's hair.  With curses directed at Ana, Philip goes to Sybok, retrieving a weak Ariadne who was attacked by War.  Aden, in the meantime, reconciles with Mia, both of them apologetic for what the circumstances forced them to do.