He felt the tiny, warm drip of blood from his cheek where she'd cut him, and the unbearable closeness when she leant forward and pressed an open-mouthed kiss to the edge of his jaw, over the trickle of blood. As Rome prepares for its Carnivale, vampire hunter Lady Victoria Gardella is in no mood for festivities. But her personal grief must be set aside for there is a sinister plot underway. In yet another play for power, vampires have formed an unholy alliance with the demon Akvan in order to gain access to an ancient alchemist's secrets. As their combined bloodthirsty army ravages the city streets, Victoria races to solve the age-old mystery - if she fails, the world is lost for ever.