This story takes place in the period between Phoenix and Athyra. It chronicles the visit of Vlad Taltos to his ancestral hometown of Burz, and his investigations of its inhabitants, and his maternal family's mysterious legacy there... Vlad decides to head toward Burz in search of his mother's kin, believing himself safer there since any attempt by the Jhereg on his life would be more noticeable in the East as an 'elf' would stick out and witches are able to sense Morganti blades.