In the narrow, stinking streets of medieval London lives Seb, a talented but crippled artist, who would sell his soul to be handsome like his protective brother, Jude. But then Jude is arrested for the murder of his lover’s husband; and was that Jude's own knife used to do the killing? Can Seb overcome his disabilities and save his brother from the hangman’s rope?

Meanwhile the King needs money to pay his army and turns to an alchemist to create gold and instructs the dark Lord Lovell to ensure he does so. But he is a good friend to our Lord Richard, Duke of Gloucester, can it be true that he is ruthless and so unkind?

Despite another murder, burglary, arson, kidnapping and more alchemy, will Sebastian discover how the murder was committed, will he find love of his own and the inner strength of which he was previously unaware.