Kestryl the Bladesman has been pushed to the edge of madness. Only the death of the Duke, the son of the woman he loves, will satisfy his need for vengeance. With High Gondylar on the brink of war, an assassination would destroy the Dukedom's best hope of surviving. Trapped between the love for his country and his hatred for the only man who can save it, Kestryl must make the hardest decision of his life.