Alyss' nephew Tilo and the business partner and friend of the house, John of Lynne, were kidnapped by Vitalienbrüder during their crossing of the North Sea. Alyss anxiously wonders if they can free themselves from the pirates' grasp. Meanwhile, in Cologne, terrible danger looms: a man in a wolf mask prowls the streets, stalking women. One day, a young woman drags herself, gravely injured, to Alyss' courtyard. With her last strength, she breathes out: "Heretic...".