"Arren Cardockson lived as a man oppressed by his slave heritage. Although he was once chosen as a griffin's companion, Arren was still reviled, betrayed, and ultimately killed for nothing more than his birth. Now, brought back by a power beyond his understanding, he is not quite alive but not quite dead, either. After exacting his revenge on those who wronged him, Arren flees his home for the frozen sanctuary of the North. With only the man-eating griffin Skandar by his side, and an entire country hunting him, Arren has little hope of reaching the place of his ancestry and lifting his curse. But then he comes across a wild woman who may hold the key to making his lifeless heart beat once more..."--P. [4] of cover.