1309. Near the beautiful Mediterranean island of Gildoroso, a woman, riddled with disease, is fished out of the sea. From the words of this dying messenger, Marek will learn fragments of his own past, which his father wanted hidden. Shocked by the news of a sibling he never knew existed, and to solve the mystery of his heritage, Marek embarks on a journey north. At a remote castle in the icy Black Forest, he will discover shocking truths about himself, and the seductive castle inhabitants who attempt to lure him towards a way of life that will both thrill and repulse him. Hiding among us - often disguised in beauty - is another kind of being: ruthless, sadistic and hungry for human souls. And even the purest of hearts can be tempted to join them. ~ back of book.