In a world of Goddess worship, sacred snakes and sacrifice, human jealousy, resentment and betrayal still run wild . . . Ancient Crete, 1450 BC.When her sister Arge drops to the floor in convulsions and then dies at her wedding, fifteen-year-old Martis, a young poet and bull leaper in training, is certain she was murdered.

The prime suspect is the groom, Saurus, a barbarian from the Greek mainland, but when Arge's Shade visits Martis, swearing Saurus is not her murderer, Martis vows to uncover the truth. As Martis begins asking questions, she discovers that while her sweet sister Arge may have had no secrets, many of the people around Martis certainly do... but if the murderer is not Saurus, then who is it? The Egyptian lady who frequents the docks, one of Martis's other sisters, her father, or someone entirely different? Martis is in a battle against time to save her sister's Shade from eternal unrest and uncover the killer before they strike again . . .