Xan is living in Lincoln as a merchant’s apprentice to his uncle. But all is not well. Uncle William’s business partner has become deathly ill after he angered a mysterious, scarred woman in the marketplace. Nigel, the reckless nephew of William’s business partner, has put them in danger by befriending an enemy of the King.

Why is there a band of brutes lurking near Uncle William’s shop? Does the disfigured woman in the marketplace really have power over life and death? Will Nigel stop his dealings with a known traitor?