Constance has lost her husband to the Yonder. Desperate to find him, she engages a monstrous mishap of a man, Magpie, as her Seeker. Together they cross over to a place where memories grow confused and identities are altered. To her horror, Constance discovers that in the Yonder, she is the property of a man who is determined to get her back. Relying on Magpie's guidance, she repeatedly escapes capture as they search for her lost husband, meeting along the way individuals with remarkable abilities, some friendly, others less so. Magpie, however, is carrying secrets of his own, and in the end reluctantly delivers Constance back up to her owner. This sets Magpie on a spiraling journey of his own. He engages in a game of chance where his own freedom is forfeit should he lose. All the while, he navigates a debt to Death, as well as walking a tightrope of restrictions, the result of a wager he has incautiously made with the Devil. In spite of facing the utter likelihood of failure, Magpie has one powerful advantage, and is not to be deterred from his goal to free Constance and reunite her with her elusive husband, while foiling Death and beating the Devil at his own game.