Duchess of the Shallows has chosen her path. Now she will learn the price.In the moment of her greatest victory she finds herself the victim of a whisper campaign as subtle and wide-reaching as the Grey itself. But her search for a source is threatened by a time of troubles for Rodaas: a brewing religious war, a struggle for imperial succession, and behind it all, the endless machinations of He Who Devours.Everything she has gained--friends, family, faith and fortune--is in jeopardy.Only one question remains: how far will Duchess go to protect what is hers?