Turned from the path of the assassin, Asher roams the world no better than a nomad, with naught to offer but his sword and grit. But woe betide the monster that believes his sword and grit will not be enough… In a twisted chance of fate, the brash actions of Doran Heavybelly—a dwarven hunter with a lot to say—forces Asher back into the world of man. And so the ranger is brought into the light, into the gaze of Illian’s greatest crime guilds and onto the lawless island of Dragorn.  A deal must be made, and with a creature far worse than any of the fiends Asher has put to his sword. To save those who cannot save themselves, the ranger must choose between his life and theirs. Should he make such a deal, 'tis not his life that would be forfeit but the man he has worked so hard to become. In the end, it will all come down to blood and coin…