From Laura Hamilton and little James, there was nothing left but the impressions of bare footprints on the nursery floor. Lord Hamilton is certain: the disappearance of his wife and heir is the work of forces from another world. In search of help, he turns to his younger brother Damian—an eccentric black magician—and to the governess Elinor Carmichael, gifted with the ability to see ghosts. However, the Hamilton family manor and the dark streets of London hide far more secrets than they seem.