Phèdre nó Delaunay has survived much in her short life; she is an anguissette, a courtly spy, and the keeper of a nation's secrets. She has saved a kingdom, kept her people from a barbaric invasion, and thwarted Melisande Shahrizai, a ruthless, Machiavellian villainess.

But her gods are not yet finished with Phèdre, for while the young queen who sits upon the throne is well loved by the people, there are those who believe other heads should wear the crown-Melisande was able to escape the royal guard, and is not done scheming for power and revenge. To save all she holds dear, Phèdre will travel from the sun-drenched villas of La Serenissima to the wilds of old Hellas, and will discover a plot so dreadful as to make the earth tremble ...