Alec and Seregil are more than the corrupt nobles they pretend to be - they serve their queen and country. But when they discover a plot to turn Queen Phoria against Princess Clea, the two Nightwalkers' loyalties are tested unlike anything they've ever known. Even at the best of times, the royal court in Rimini is a nest of vipers, but with the war against Plenimar going badly wrong, treason simmers just beneath the surface.

But that's not all that's threatening: a mysterious plague is stalking the streets of the crowded city , hitting everyone, young and old. Now, as panic grows and the number of victims grows, secrets are revealed. Seregil and Alec are about to discover that conspiracies and plagues have one thing in common: the cure can be more deadly than the disease.