Imperial agent Cassius Corbulo is about to go rogue. His bodyguard, Indavara, has been kidnapped, and having spent weeks trying to locate him, Cassius's time is up: he must return to duty. But when an old ally's daughter is enslaved, he feels obliged to repay a long-standing debt. Disobeying his superiors, Cassius—and his Christian servant Simo—joins nomadic chieftain Kabir and a trio of warriors, determined to rescue the missing girl. The unlikely band journey across the perilous, plague-ridden hinterland of Asia Minor, hunting a vicious band of slave-traders trafficking women across the Empire. But these are no common criminals, and Cassius finds himself up against ruthless, cunning men with powerful friends and a lot to lose...