A wise king keeps his friends close and his enemies closer, even if one is his younger brother. When a valuable heiress disappears from Kingfountain in the middle of the night, King Eredur summons the poisoner Ankarette to bring her back alive at all costs. Both of his younger brothers want her—one to control her fortune and the other for love.

With the help of a world-weary soldier from the Night Watch, Ankarette must delve into the darkest corners of the city before the wrong people find the lost widow first. Blood will be spilled. Brothers will come to blows. And once again Ankarette must try to stop her beloved kingdom from tearing itself apart.