Fifteenth-century Venice is a safe haven for the masterless dregs of the vampire world, a city where they can live without the fear of retribution for violating another's territory. Still, there are plenty of ways for a young vampire to die in the glittering city, a lesson that prince turned pauper Mircea Basarab must learn quickly. But there are opportunities, too--in the service of a secretive courtesan, in the bed of a beautiful senator, and in the hunt for an ancient assassin. As a vendetta older than Venice itself comes to a climax, Mircea struggles to evade the dangers of his current life, to come to terms with his past, and to uncover the truth hidden behind a city of masks...