Forgiveness comes easy for Sam after he sees his father again, and he leaves Washington DC with a sense of hope that redemption is within reach. But will his hope last? Sam doesn't go home right away; a northward turn to Long Island, New York, places him in the shadow of an equine expert whose connection with Sam runs unexpectedly deep. A foe turned friend helps Sam secure his Morgan breeding plan and the course of his life for years to come. Consequently, Sam finds himself on a comfortable mountaintop, unwilling to enter the valley to face the thresholds of his battle lines.

Sam's crossings lead him to new friendships and enemies in territories that stretch from the established, predictable East Coast to the unsettled, wild frontier. He faces corruption, coercion, and slavery mixed with persuasion, abolition, and liberation. While he enjoys stability in his love for Jane and his home, friends, and a growing bond with Abraham Lincoln, numerous trials point Sam away from all he has built, leaving him feeling fiercely resistant to the unknown. He is slow to realize he had forgotten a father's promise. Inevitably backed into a corner, he must make a decision. Will Sam trust the divine placement of the battle line?