When in 1497 murder, flood and disease hit the holy city of Gloucester, it's not long before the monks of Blackfriars and the corrupt burghers of the city start to talk of sorcery. Punishments are brutal; fires will be lit; people will burn. Orphaned at a young age and trapped in marriage to the boorish Humphrey, Emmelina finds herself the focus of fear and superstition. But what really happened to her friend and maidservant, Fayette, and how much is she prepared to risk in the name of freedom...and of love?