In this work of historical fiction, an Aztec boy, Tizoc, is fascinated by a magnificent royal cape on display in his small village. He disobeys his father by going to view the cape, and he accidentally destroys this priceless object. In punishment, the boy's entire family is cast into slave bondage and his parents are slated for sacrifice at the Great Temple in the Aztec capital city, Tenochtitlan. Frantic to rescue his parents from death, Tizoc is aided by an elderly man who once was a temple priest in the capital. Tizoc and his friends journey to Tenochtitlan and take a desperate gamble in the hope of saving Tizoc's parents from their impending sacrifice.