Greta has just four weeks to create the perfect gown for the most demanding signora in Tor'Esint. A Gold Sarta, she knows she has what it takes but the jealous whispering and condescending voices of her peers leave her stomach in knots.

To make matters worse, her fractious apprentices are failing to master their skills, a former lover seems set on making her life difficult, and Aveline, her dearest friend, has become distant and secretive.

Then her beloved Maestro is found dead, leaving behind the mystery of his death, an angry apprentice, a warehouse full of contraband, and a will intended to change her life forever.

Out of her depth, Greta is pulled into a fierce struggle between the Alchimisti and Mercantili that threatens to bring down all of the Guilds. Can she get out of this with her reputation and livelihood intact?