Lea is the daughter of a minor baron from the provincial nobility. The estate where she lives with her parents and older sister is surrounded by an impenetrable taiga forest, about which, for centuries, the peasants have made up legends. The forest both feeds them and is a dangerous neighbor. The old people know that deep in the thick of it, in the murky waters of a lake, live unclean beings—cunning mermaids. What will a meeting with mermaids bring to Lea and her family? Are the rumors true—that they are cruel, unscrupulous creatures—or is their sad reputation what makes the mermaids bare their teeth?
Monks, peasants, robbers, and the nobility will all end up connected to a mysterious ancient cult that celebrates life where death reigns.