In Albion, it is almost the time of the Conjunction, and the witch Nightshade is seeking to unleash a millennia of evil forces upon the land. Only a small handful of folk, headed up by Sir Benedict Harkness and his brother, the enigmatic Eyes of The Wind, are aware of her plan, and set about trying to locate the Charm, an amulet with the power to awaken the Lady Gray, the only person with the power to stop Nightshade. Fifteen-year-old Nick Hawthorne is plunged into this maelstrom of alien malevolence when he finds the talisman near his home. Against his will, but terrified of Nightshade's familiar, the Ilnure, which has been dispatched to England to secure the Charm, Nick is whisked off to Albion by Sir Benedict via a Magickal 'Gate'. There, he and his companions must locate the Sleeping Hill, resting place of the Lady Gray. But there's a problem -- no-one knows where it is, and they have just six weeks to find it! On their quest they encounter mercenaries, highwaymen, living scarecrows, even a dragon. On his journey, Nick also discovers a great deal about himself.