Once upon a time, in a land very close to our own, a greedy queen amassed a vast collection of priceless stolen artifacts. People from other lands suspected her thievery, but none could prove it. Once taken, their own precious items disappeared forever. A delicate hair comb, a pair of fragile glass slippers, a gilt-edged mirror, golden straw, magic beans, an enchanted ax, and an antique oil lamp were among her hidden prizes. The most precious of all was a goblet that had once held the very essence of life and death—the decades of dreams of an entire sleeping kingdom. Now, a group of rebels is out to stop the evil queen's plans. They must retrieve the magical antiquities before she can use them to seize power over all the kingdoms. It will take someone very special to do the job. For it takes a thief to catch a thief...and a knave to outwit a queen! The greatest thief in the land takes on the challenge, but he isn't alone on his quest. When a beautiful woman from another world lands right at his feet, he knows he must protect her from the powerful queen. He tells himself he will someday get her home to her own land. But when the time comes, how will Jack Harte ever let Allie go?