Darel Ericson of the Dahanavar clan is a rarity among his vampire brethren: he's an empath, strong enough to occasionally read thought as well as emotion. For centuries, his power has given the Dahanavar a significant advantage against the machinations of the other vampire families, an advantage which makes Darel both a powerful tool and a highly visible target.

Fortunately for Darel, it is more useful for the heads of the other clans to maintain the centuries-long peace between the houses. But can that truce hold against the will of the dangerous head of the House of Nachterret, a cunning and violent vampire who is tired of hiding his presence in the world? The Nachterret would like nothing more than have free reign over the helpless human cattle upon which they feed.

Darel, and the human woman he loves, become central to the Nachterret's scheme to plunge the Houses into all out war, potentially revealing the presence of vampires to humanity and ruining life as they know it. Darel is ultimately forced to face the question: is one young woman's life too high a price to pay for peace?

Genre: Fantasy