Prince Cael Sangor has returned. Soon, he will take his place on the throne, and fulfill all the hopes that the people of Alronelin have kept suppressed for so long. Everyone is delighted-except for Rose and the orphans, who know who the prince really is. With Kayo gone, Rose no longer knows her place among the orphans. The mundane life is not for her, and crime is all she knows. She soon takes on the role of the Black Death in Kayo's place, and find that the mask suits her all too well-and that she is no longer the person she thought she was. In the castle, Kayo is locked in a battle of wills with the king, a careful dance of intrigue and politics. But he is no match for Romero, who will do whatever it takes to control him. And when Rose finds out just how far Romero will go, she must use all of her wiles-and face the worst of her fears-to infiltrate the impenetrable Stormbreaker Castle.