Master conjurer Grey Carteret comes to in a London gutter next to a hovering street urchin and not far from the body of a man murdered by magic. Arrested for the crime, Grey must rely on the street urchin for help. But the lad turns out to be a lass and she wants something in exchange. She wants to become the conjurer's apprentice. Pearl Parkin wasn't always poor, and she sees magic as her way out of the life she now finds herself trapped in. But blackmailing Grey into making her his apprentice has unexpected consequences. As they plunge into the hunt for the murderer, Pearl discovers that the things she once desperately wanted are not so important after all, and that she must risk her blood, her heart, and her very life to grasp the love she needs.