Held captive in the barbarian kingdom of Venda Lia and Rafe have little chance of escape . . .
and even less of being together. Desperate to save her life Lia's erstwhile assassin Kaden
has told the Vendan Komizar that she has a magical gift and the Komizar's interest in Lia is
greater than either Kaden or Lia foresaw. Meanwhile the foundations of Lia's deeply-held
beliefs are crumbling beneath her. Nothing is straightforward: there's Rafe who lied to her
but has sacrificed his freedom to protect her Kaden who meant to assassinate her but has now
saved her life and the Vendans whom she always believed to be barbarians but whom she now
realizes are people who have been terribly brutalized by the kingdoms of Dalbreck and
Morrighan. Wrestling with her upbringing her gift and her very sense of self Lia will have
to make powerful choices that affect her country her people . . . and her own destiny.
