Jackson Cabot's bright future went dark in 1896 Paris, when his beautiful Sidhe lover left him for dead. Turned vampire against his will, stripped of his life and dignity, he slaved for Europe's vampire master for three decades before a thin ray of hope pierced his dismal existence: a secret that enabled Jackson to hoard vampire magic far in excess of a youngling's natural power. Now, more than a century after his death, his power at last approaches that of his former master and rival. Though his steward advises patience, Jackson is through biding his time. He will soon force a duel on the streets of Rome, Italy, though he knows his victory is far from assured. Until, on the eve of battle, Jackson encounters the one woman whose magic can turn the tide in his favor: the beautiful Immortal Sidhe who killed him. And everything changes.