During the Norman conquest of England, Joan–a fifteen-year-old girl with the ability to summon fire–is recruited by William the Conqueror to help fight against her own people, the Anglo-Saxons. William has made himself King of England, but Joan doesn’t swear fealty to him. She is loyal to Gilbert, the leader of a band of fighters who all have special abilities.  Joan first meets Gilbert when he comes to the abbey where she’s apprenticing and asks to see the burning girl. The nuns all believe that she is damned and tried to burn her for her sins, but she survived. At Gilbert’s bidding, Joan demonstrates her powers by lighting a candle. The nuns sell her to Gilbert and his soldiers in exchange for their protection during the fighting.  Joan views Gilbert and his fighters as the enemy. King Harold’s son has been leading a Saxon rebellion in the north, and in response, William the Bastard’s army has been burning farms and villages. Civilians are fleeing the countryside. Joan meets Gilbert’s other fighters around the campfire. Ibrahim can talk to birds, Isabelle can command the weather, Edwin can bend metal, Ann can move the earth, and Felix can run very fast. Joan explains to her new companions that she is cursed, but Edwin disagrees.  King William summons Gilbert and his fighters. Joan rides with them and notices that the other soldiers keep their distance. William wants to see what Joan can do with her powers. She decides to scare him by setting a cart of hay on fire. William announces that he wants them to take the city of York. Gilbert protests, but the King insists.  Gilbert, Joan, and the others camp apart from the rest of the Norman soldiers. They come up with a plan for invading the city using everyone’s powers: Edwin will tear down the gate, Felix will knock weapons down, Isabelle will bring rain and fog, and Ibrahim’s birds will keep watch and send messages. Joan will stay behind at the camp. Gilbert doesn’t want to ask her to fight her own people. She knows that if she wanted, she could burn the whole city. But Gilbert thinks she needs more practice.  The next morning, Ann, Felix, Edwin, and Gilbert leave for the city. Ibrahim, Isabelle and Joan stay behind. The walls of the city crumble and Isabelle summons a storm. Suddenly, arrows start to fly at them. The Norman soldiers from the camp nearby are attacking. Joan runs to Gilbert, who is outside the city, facing the Norman army by himself. He has telekinetic powers and is able to hold back the soldiers, but she can tell he’s tiring. Joan creates a wall of fire and pushes it at the soldiers, making a protective ring around Gilbert. The soldiers flee. Gilbert explains that he was the one who guided the arrow that killed King Harrold. William owes him a debt, but now his men are trying to kill them.  They return to their camp. Gilbert doesn’t think William ordered his men to attack. His men are afraid of Gilbert and his fighters, so they want to eliminate them. Gilbert decides to go talk to William. When he returns, he explains that he gave William an ultimatum: reward Gilbert and his group, or kill him openly. Gilbert then shares that they’ve been granted a piece of land in Wessex.  They all go live in Wessex. Gilbert still fights for William and Joan reluctantly helps. She is no longer afraid of being cursed. She has learned to tame her fire and found her new family.