Mara's mother forbade any talk of magic. This one rule leads to Mara's denial about all the magical manifestations she sees daily. At 20 years of age she no longer notices seeing Wind Sprites and Ogres --until Aerrvin shows up.
Aerrvin is a Fairy Prince on a quest. He has decided to seek a bride from among the Humans of Seattle. After choosing Mara as his target, and using old magic, he intends to Transform Mara from a Human to a Fairy.
Mara reminds herself of the mantra her mother taught, "Magic is not real." At the same time she encourages her dreams of flying about each night as a fairy to continue. Eventually, she seeks counseling to determine what is real.
Meanwhile, Morvayne has been spying on Mara all of her life. Some of those within the world of the Faire who practice the art of Dreaming know that she is a central figure in the future of all the world. Morvayne intends to exploit her for his own gain, which he can only do if she comes to believe in the reality of the Faire Realms. Magic is real.