A superb novel, set in the world of Anne Bishop's bestselling Black Jewels trilogy . In a world where magic is power and social status is everything, the colour of the jewel you wear determines the course of your life ... Jared is a Red-Jewelled Warlord bound as a pleasure slave by the Ring of Obedience. After suffering nine years of torment, he murdered his owner and escaped - only to be caught and sold back into slavery. Recently purchased by a notorious queen, Jared fears he will share the mysterious fate of her other slaves - never to be seen again - and so prepares himself for death. But the Gray Lady may not be what she seems and Jared soon faces a difficult decision: his freedom, or his honour ... Praise for Anne Bishop 'the author's overall sublime skill [blends] the darkly macabre with spine-tingling emotional intensity, lush sensuality, and exciting action, all set in a thoroughly detailed, invented world of cultures in conflict ... It and its predecessors are genuine gems of fantasy much to be prized' SF Site