The mercurial necromancer Liliana Vess and psychic sorcerer Jace Beleren are back and ready to challenge the netherworld forces that threaten to tip the delicate balance between life and death. Planeswalker Liliana Vess has been running from her past for too long. When it finally catches up with her, it is in the form of a demon asking for an interest payment on a favor granted in years past… as if her everlasting soul wasn't enough in return for eternal youth. If Liliana can retrieve a powerful magical artifact known as the Chain Veil, payment for services rendered can be forestalled. So, when she does find the Chain Veil, accidently crossing a barbarian planeswalker named Garruk Wildspeaker doesn't seem to be such a big deal. She dons the Veil in order to defeat Garruk, but her victory comes at a price. At first the Chain Veil seems to be the answer to all her problems, giving her power like none she's ever felt and a confidence to take the fight to her demon debtors. But as the Veil slowly starts to take hold of her, it's hard to tell if those voices in her head are her own, or the eldritch spirits of the Veil.

Meanwhile she's being pursued by that barbarian, but now he's really angry. Her old friend Jace Beleren is there to help, but even he may not be powerful enough to save Liliana from herself.