Free will being sacred, no man nor woman nor intelligent being shall be bound unwilling. High priest S’Rak has more than earned the trust and friendship of Prince Jethain, and the love and acceptance of the reticent Captain Jisten. Mindful of the harsh price of the Koilathan decency laws, S’Rak and Jisten have taken care to keep their love private. But when the prince is attacked by chaos magic, the pair must reveal the depths of their relationship in order to save him. The jealous prince is certain that S’Rak seduced his only friend because of the nickname, and that nothing good will come of their affair. Will Jethain come to accept the pair’s love for each other, or will he try to steal the captain, his oldest, dearest, and only real friend, for himself? While Jethain wrestles with his dilemma, the Lord of Night has no such difficulties. He is infuriated by the very nature of the relationship S’Rak and Jisten share, for it violates His most sacred Law, that of free will. Can Jisten convince Zotien that his love for S’Rak is true, and that he freely accepted the bond joining them at a soul-deep level? Or will the Outlaw Hunt ride down and destroy S’Rak for his crimes, and thereby destroy the very prophecy S’Rak was sent to preserve?