Jude must keep her younger brother safe and to do so, she has bound the wicked king, Cardan, to her, and made herself the power behind the throne. Cardan does everything in his power to humiliate and undermine her even as his fascination with her remains strong. Someone close to Jude means to betray her, threatening her own life and the lives of everyone she loves. She must uncover the traitor and fight her own complicated feelings for Cardan to maintain control as a mortal in a Faerie world.