After recovering from the abuse of his first sponsor and the stoic indifference of his second, Zhas has now landed a sponsor he didn’t even believe existed— a wealthy but considerate man who not only trusts Zhas, but admires and appreciates his work. When Zhas’s friend Jhamar-ja Ghani suffers at the hand of a cruel sponsor and when a damning secret of royal zhalja Rhazaaq-ja Qizham’s threatens his future, Zhas is there to help. Beyond having access to a small sliver of power that Zhas has never enjoyed, Zhas also has chance to explore desires he never knew he had. As the dichotomy of zhalja and sponsor blurs, Zhas realizes that while not all men are equal in Bhajar society, the love shared between them can be.