Every year hundreds of warriors and swordsmen travel to the grand city of Basilopolis to audition for the Emperor of Makhaira's personal company. Only the greatest are admitted into that elite corps. Most are found wanting and sent on their way, with nothing more than the tales of how they were almost good enough to serve him. Edward Aethelredson knows that he is worthy to pledge his blade for the Emperor's service. His entire life has readied him for this moment, and now he must only finish his journey and claim his rightful place amongst the best. In the midst of his journey, however, he finds himself pledging his sword - and his life - not to the Emperor but to a lowly innkeeper. He swears an oath to discover who kidnapped and murdered a young and innocent girl. He finds himself unraveling a conspiracy that could threaten the very foundation of the Empire. Armed with his ancestral sword of glittering water-steel and knowledge passed on to him by the greatest magician in his homeland, Edward must also face the memories of a father slain, a king defied, and past oaths sworn. His future awaits...

Just another day in Achrida... All Edward Aethelredson wanted to do was to enjoy his ale, heal from his wounds, relax during the summer, and help his friend with what should have been nothing more than a pleasant ride in the country. Two bodies later, including one he kills in self-defense, Edward is drawn into the dark recesses of the Empire’s criminal underworld. He cannot flee, for that would impugn his honor. He cannot hide, for that would leave a six-year-old girl and her family in danger for merely being in the wrong place at the wrong time. He cannot attack, for he does not know who to strike at. With an ally who is more foe than friend and his back against the wall, can Edward find the cunning necessary to save his friends? Or will crime lords and deadly wizards spell the end of him?

Perhaps it is best to leave the dead buried. Edward Aethelredson always pays his debts and upholds his promises, even if the most powerful wishes he did not. After all, no good can come from delving into a seven-year-old killing. But Edward owes Bisera, the leader of Achrida’s greatest church, who wants to know why her sister was murdered. He starts digging only to find the answer leads to a darker plot that stretches from the Great City back to Achrida. Traps, pitfalls, and obstacles litter Edward’s path, and each discovery points toward another layer of this cunning plan, one that hides an ancient evil. Adding to Edward’s challenge, old foes reappear to exact vengeance. Crime lords demand their due payment, as well, and countless are the bodies they have already sent to the depths of Lake Achrida. Worse, many of Edward’s greatest allies cannot help. His lover is gone, along with the warrior who guarded his back. His friends are limited by their own promises. And he has not yet completely escaped his past…