With few friends to support him and more enemies than he has ever known, Christophe Maides embarks on a course of action certain to cause his closest friend, Jehan-Emíl deFreveille, to wonder if the Demon has lost his mind. Without doubt, he has lost his heart. With no guarantee he will ever benefit from the pledge he is determined to make to Caryl Gernant, Maides follows his father's reckless path. Loving a woman who will never consent to his proposal, will never accept him as her husband has condemned him to commit the crimes of his father but, like Gilles de Maides, Christophe prefers that unhappy fate to living another day without hope Caryl will, one day, change her mind.