Risen from indentured servitude to become a peer of the realm, Phèdre nó Delaunay, now Comtesse de Montrève, accepts the challenge of her greatest enemy. Somewhere, close to the D?Angeline throne, there is a traitor. Who freed Melisande Shahrizai? It will take the wiles of a courtesan with the wits of a spy to find the answer-and in the end, the price may prove higher than Phèdre is willing to pay.

Once, she had the Perfect Companion at her side; but her choice exacts a toll.

Struggling to prevent her relationship with Joscelin from unraveling, bereft of her mentor, torn by her desire to seek the key to Hyacinthe?s freedom, Phèdre treads her way through a maze of intrigue and deceit. Ancient quarrels and fresh lies complicate her path, and no one can be trusted. Her quest will take her farther afield than she knew.

And answering Melisande?s riddle is only the beginning.

This time, the threat to Terre d?Ange lies within it. In a world filled with dubious allies, cunning villains and blood-cursed pirates, Phèdre will reckon the true cost of what it means to be Kushiel?s Chosen.

Late of the brazen portals

With blood-tipp'd dart a wound unhealed

Pricks the eyen of chosen mortals

The land of Terre d'Ange is a place of unsurpassed beauty and grace. The inhabiting race rose from the seed of angels and men, and they live by one simple rule: Love as thou wilt.

Phèdre nó Delaunay was sold into indentured servitude as a child. Her bond was purchased by a nobleman, the first to recognize that she is one pricked by Kushiel's Dart, chosen to forever experience pain and pleasure as one. He trained Phèdre in the courtly arts and the talents of the bedchamber--and, above all, the ability to observe, remember, and analyze.

When she stumbled upon a plot that threatened the very foundations of her homeland, she gave up almost everything she held dear to save it. She survived, and lived to have others tell her story, and if they embellished the tale with fabric of mythical splendor, they weren't far off the mark.

The hands of the gods weigh heavily upon Phèdre's brow, and they are not finished with her. While the young queen who sits upon the throne is well loved by the people, there are those who believe another should wear the crown... and those who escaped the wrath of the mighty are not yet done with their schemes for power and revenge.

Upon returning she embarked in earnest on a writing career, which came to fruition some ten years later. During this time, she worked at the art center of an area college, gaining a strong background in the visual arts. This, along with her early studies in literature and psychology informs her work, as does a lifelong interest in mythology. She enjoys doing research on a wide variety of arcane topics, and an affinity for travel has take her from Finland to Egypt to date. Although often asked by inquiring fans, she does not, in fact, have any tattoos.

Jacqueline currently resides in west Michigan, where she is a founding member of the oldest Mardi Gras krewe in the state. She is the author of the critically acclaimed Kushiel's Legacy fantasy trilogy, including Kushiel's Dart, which received the Locus Award for Best First Novel and the Romantic Times Reviewer's Choice Award for Best Fantasy in 2001. Other previous publications include a nonfiction book, various essays and short stories.