When a palace maid is attacked, Josie and the captain of the guards investigate together. Since one of the suspects is a foreign diplomat and magic expert, they use the opportunity to learn more about sorcery. But it soon becomes clear that he has his own agenda.
With unrest in the village, and nobles vying for the king’s attention, an undercurrent of danger pervades the air. But the most dangerous man of all may be the king himself, because every clue points to him knowing more than he lets on.
As tensions both in and out of the glittering Glancian palace rise, the tension between the captain and Josie is a distraction – because how can a man with no past make promises for the future?