Tilda Finch is the acting abbess of Our Lady Maureen, a sanctuary for women of every creed and walk of life, a place where men are not allowed.
When war breaks out and a thousand foreign soldiers march toward the abbey's fortress walls, she reluctantly allows in ten city guards sent to defend the abbey. One of them is the most infuriating man she has ever met. Then a body is found, strangely marked with an arcane symbol. With terror spreading among her devotees and the nearby town, Tilda uses her little bit of magic, hoping to uncover the truth, but accidentally discovers a forgotten spell buried beneath Our Lady Maureen. But someone else has the recipe and wants to use it for evil. A murderer is prowling the surrounding countryside. Enemies gather at the gates. Tilda and her friends, old and new, must solve the mystery before everything they hold dear is destroyed. The more she digs into ancient riddles and ciphers, the more Tilda finds herself in a passionate entanglement with the one man she cannot stand.
