Sold into slavery by her father to avoid the invasion of Strigia by the Ottoman Turks, Portia di Luce must find a way to survive in a land not her own. She watches, listens carefully, and uses what she learns about her captives to create a life that is barely tolerable in a country where women are merely property and treated without kindness. When the opportunity to escape arrives, Portia finds herself at the mercy of a stranger - a man who has no love of the Turks and does not trust Portia, fearing she is a spy or worse yet, a traitor. As time passes, the true traitor is revealed and Lord Draegan of Sebe must learn to trust the young woman he reluctantly offered sanctuary and soon finds that Portia's faith and resilience is an inspiration to not only him but the servants of his castle. When war with the Turks approaches Sebe, Lord Draegan must make a decision based on the information Portia has shared in confidence and decide if he can find it in his heart to forgive his actions against Portia when she arrived and if he can admit to himself that she has touched his heart in a way he no longer believed was possible.
