Queen Rejeena and her partner, Aarvan, are besieged by powerful enemies who seek to oust them from poweror worse. Standing together, they strive to triumph over the attacks and end the culture of cruel bigotry on the island of Kriiscon. Rejeenas unprecedented new laws create intense upheaval. The laws oppose centuries of tradition, nullifying practices women consider to be their right. Other queens are furious; the great queen, outraged. Aarvan invents his own problems. By interfering with the sport of a group of loose fellows who then turn their wrathful attention to him, he allows a huge mysterious creature to escape. The creaturepossibly the mythical glaaletrepays the queens man by biting his arm to the bone, leaving Aarvan shocked and with a lasting scar. Meanwhile, to regain her control of the queens inner circle, Captain Shabet conspires to slay Aarvan. After several inexplicable assaults that occur against the man she loves, Rejeena begins to suffer serious, private doubts about her always-loyal captain. The great queen demands a staff-level paaerta hunt, and Rejeena must attendan encounter to punish the young queen for her effrontery. Rejeena and Aarvan come face-to-face with top-hierarchy betrayal, deadly revenge, and an amoral demon determined to kill.