Sometimes heroic swordsmen need money. So Aric and his half-fairy partner Emrys have accepted a job protecting a wealthy cloth merchant's caravan. But the job's more complicated than it seems. Em's fairy father is hunting them, and Em's trying not to draw attention by using magic. Their client, Lady Caris, has demanded that Em stay in a simple single-gendered human form and not shapeshift -- and Aric can see his partner growing more uncomfortable day by day. On top of that, their client's hiding a magical secret ... and a dangerous enemy.