Guardian Caid Sharsen knows that he is unlovable. A scarred loner, he believes that his life as a Guardian is all he will ever have. Edrick Valemont has a reputation as a hedonist. Well-known for his numerous affairs, he flits from party to party and bed to bed indiscriminately, with apparently nothing on his mind but frivolous pleasure. When Caid and Edrick meet, the heat between the two men is undeniable. What starts out as a brief affair turns into something much deeper, but their relationship is complicated by Edrick’s secret. Edrick is a spy. Working for Javan, the spymaster, his job is to ferret out information about Angkeshi sympathizers within the city of Winterreach. Amid rumors of an attempted assassination, Caid and Edrick must overcome the scars of their pasts in order to save their king and their love.