On the edge of a mystical border called the Limen, close to a beautiful canal-laced city named La Serenissima, a humble candlemaker rescues a child whom he raises as his apprentice. Years pass and the child's unusual talents are revealed, the gentle art of candlemaking slowly transforming into something far more sinister. Lingering in the shadows, enemies watch and wait—a vengeful aristocrat, an exotic queen, and the lethal creatures known only as the Morte Whisperers. They hunger after the child's ancient magic and will do anything to control it—betray, lie, manipulate—even murder. In a world of darkness, there is one who will bring light, but can the child survive long enough to fulfill that destiny?