The bad guys are licking their wounds leaving Claire and James to enjoy what promises to be a merry Christmas. But when someone they trust sends Claire and Stephen both into enemy hands, their illusion is shattered. Past lovers, obligations and rivalries compete, all the while the bond between Claire and James grows and Claire is pulled further toward the vampire side. James is growing dependent upon her feeding his humanity until the boundary that separates them is no longer clear. A potential husband and a job working for the Court threaten Claire's newfound control over her life and stick her firmly under someone else's thumb. She must try to keep her wits about herself enough to figure out what she wants before the choice is no longer hers to make, and try not to get any of her loved ones killed in the process.