Change is hard, especially when you're a student at an enigmatic boarding school like Gunnerkrigg Court...and for Annie Carver, it's never been so sudden. After a shocking revelation about her mother's death sends her into an overwhelming fit of rage, she runs away to the neighboring Gillitie Wood. There, forest god Coyote reveals even more about her parentage that will change the course of her life forever. Kat's research advances by leaps and bounds when she discovers an unexpected method of awakening the Court's oldest robots. While she learns more about the robots' original creator Diego, she must also make a heartbreaking decision in order to move forward. And what exactly is the seed bismuth?

Meanwhile, Shadow's world quite literally turns upside down, Parley reveals her relationship with Smitty to her friends, Red gets a name, Annie's father momentarily surfaces with alarming consequences, Zimmy lends a powerful helping hand in Annie's time of need, and great secrets are revealed by parties on both sides of the Annan Waters.