Whispers of an assassination attempt on the Lady Caterina turn agents of the Vatican against each other. Abel seeks a safe path through the hostilities harbored by both sides, and Esther must be the guide.

Abel and Esther must protect the messenger from the Empire, Ion Fortuna. And as Cartago undergoes martial law, hope rests on the small group of refugees, alone and outnumbered, forced underground.

As the Puppet Master, a face from Esther's past, creates chaos, the Rosen Kreuz formulates a murderous plan to inflame the hatred between the two races.

While Esther recovers from her injuries with the help of the enigmatic child Seth, Ion is stunned to find himself face to face with Radu.

Ion and Esther find themselves unwitting pawns in an elaborate plot to murder the Empress. As treachery emerges from shadow, so does a ghost from Ester's past.