Ilse Zhalina is the daughter of one of Melnek’s more prominent merchants. She has lived most of her life surrounded by the trappings of wealth and privilege.nbsp; Many would consider hers a happy lot.nbsp;But there are dark secrets, especiallynbsp;in the best of families.nbsp;Ilsenbsp;has learned that for a young woman of her beauty and social station, to be passive and silent is the best way to survive.nbsp;

When Ilse finally meets thenbsp;older man she is to marry, she realizesnbsp;he is far crueler and more deadly than her father could ever be. Ilse chooses to run. This choice will change her life forever.

And it will lead her to Raul Kosenmark,nbsp; master of one of the land’s most notorious pleasure houses…and who is, as Ilse discovers, a puppetmaster of a different sort altogether.nbsp;nbsp;Ilse discovers a world where every pleasure has a price and there are levels of magic and intrigue she once thought unimaginable. She also finds the other half of her heart.