Things are quiet in the aftermath of Julianna's coup, or so Tommen and Walter believe. The last few months have been basically normal, and, honestly, it's kind of nice.

Out of the blue, stunning news arrives. Rifun Ndolo has been arrested and is being shipped back to Charleston for trial. Tommen and Walter know that Rifun is too powerful to be held by something as meager as handcuffs, and they brace themselves for yet another harrowing scheme.

As it turns out, Julianna has not been idle the past few months; she has been targeting not only the scattered Akarin but anyone with an Authored Book. The bad news is that neither Rifun nor his followers are in any position to oppose her. The best they can hope for is a little distraction, a game of legal cat and mouse as the trial of the Charleston Cutthroat Killer draws everyone's attention.

In the midst of all of this, Tommen is confronted by his own actions. What does justice mean if he has already forgiven his trespasser?