Kalem, daring to the point of arrogance, transforms herself into a bird in order to spy on Kreel in his stronghold - but Shaytana’s Eye senses her, and in the encounter she is badly wounded.

She stumbles back to the heroes in a state of shock. In order to restore herself she must drink from the Crystal Stream, which contains her lifespirit. Kalem is far too weak to make the journey herself: Will and the wildcat Aruna must go in her stead, leaving Leon and Drogo to guard Vara and the ailing Kalem.

Vara, still troubled by nightmares about the violent end of her parents and of her former life, has been touched by the psychic power of Kreel. He is sending her images of her old nurse Melba, which become so strong Vara is drawn back to the Citadel to find her. Drogo follows, powerless to stop the headstrong princess from putting herself and all the others in such peril ...

Melba, who is secretly working for Kreel, agrees to come back with Vara and Drogo and join the rebels - but she carries a crystal through which she communicates with Kreel, betraying the location of the camp and invisible Shelter.

As Kalem tosses and turns in her fever, Will and Aruna struggle back from the Crystal Stream, encountering and overcoming all the efforts of the magical Snowy Mountain to defend itself against intruders.

Even as they return Kreel is accompanying Xax and a party of Warriors to the very site of the Shelter, which Kalem no longer has the psychic strength to hide.

Aruna takes it on herself to create a distraction so that Will can reach Kalem and administer the life-giving water - but in the battle Aruna is blasted by Shaytana’s Eye over the edge of a cliff. Her death seems certain...

Just as Kalem’s life is saved, the Shelter explodes in the faces of Xax and Kreel. An infuriated Kreel tells Xax that Kalem has made the Shelter vanish before he had time to destroy it, and her.

The duplicitous Melba returns to the Citadel alone, but the heroes’ celebrations are muted - until Aruna saunters through the door of the new Shelter unscathed. For she is of the cat tribe, and cats have nine lives...