A Wizard Alone

Nita is reeling from her mother’s death and struggling to keep going, while Kit is sent to investigate a new wizard who has been stuck in his first ordeal far longer than anyone expects. The assignment turns into a rescue mission shaped by magic, mystery, and increasingly strange signs that the boy’s mind and the larger conflict are deeply connected.

As Kit and his unusual dog Ponch search for answers, Nita has her own dreams and inward struggles, and the story splits between their separate efforts to understand what is happening. The missing wizard, Darryl, is autistic and extraordinarily gifted, and the investigation pushes the characters into internal landscapes, emotional fallout, and encounters with the series’ central evil force.

The story builds toward a confrontation that forces the characters to face grief, isolation, and the meaning of difference. The ending hinges on how Darryl’s abilities, identity, and choices intersect with the crisis, while Nita and Kit each move toward a new stage in their own recovery and partnership.