In a spirit-infested swamp, an assassin and a sorcerer meet over a corpse. Zajeira was pledged to the God of Blood at birth, raised to answer prayers of those with enemies to kill and money to pay. Amur is a common-born bastard whose hunger for power bought him a magical education typically forbidden to the lower class. He wants to be king, and he wants her help. The more contracts Zajeira fulfills, the more freedom she earns. Amur offers enough contracts to be free forever, and a life of luxury which few assassins have ever known. But her god does not tolerate weakness, and to indulge temptation is an unforgivable sin. If Zajeira gives in, she will not die quickly. Neither will the man who tempted her. As she cuts a path to the throne, ancient secrets surface. Old altars have been destroyed, prayers erased, and holy books replaced with blank pages. The kinder gods of Justice, Leadership and Healing have vanished, but they did not simply disappear. They were stolen, and the key to Zajeira’s freedom is bound inextricably to Theirs.