Mara never intended to return to Ilia again. But when the king makes a life-or-death decision, her interest is piqued, and Death is determined to understand the mind of Kit Azer, since it is destined to accompany her to the Marshlands.

Spending time with the king and observing the castle's inhabitants, Mara remembers that beyond death, there is something more in life. There is love. Yet even the purest intentions can ignite revenge and the pursuit of power. And fate will impose itself on everyone – to live, to rule, to love, and, most certainly of all, to die...