The streets of Aerie grow more perilous with every passing day. The quakes continue, the Great Houses fight for control of the Doge's council, and a rogue preacher foments unrest among the common people. As a new member of the House Corvus, Denevah is given the task of protecting Lord Savino, the half-brother of the man she killed on her Match Night.

With the help of Benedetto, she and Savino must navigate the corridors of political power, the dangerous city streets, and plots to tear apart the mystic forces that keep the city stable. As powerful enemies attempt to use Denevah's poisons for their own ends, her cousin Ettoni searches for a cure for her curse to give her a chance at a real life.

But those who prefer for Denevah to remain as she is will not be so easily thwarted.