When he becomes lost in the mountains, a cat with the unusual ability of walking on two legs finds his way home on cross-country skis.

While on a school skiing trip, guardian-in-training Rose faces everything from misunderstandings between friends to fights among factions of Moroi as reports of horrific Strigoi attacks raise tensions, ultimately leading Rose and some of those closest to her into a battle that teaches her much about life, death, and love.