Perci carries many burdens: a feud, manslaughter, and a secret mission. Then Marie, a heretic girl with a death sentence, complicates his life further.
Political intrigue and warfare in Thirteenth Century Europe threatens the destruction of those who disagree with the church. Adjusting to this life, Perci’s conscience grapples with a society based on brutality and intolerance.
In the campaign, he stumbles upon eleven-year-old Marie, brutally beaten for her faith in Christ. Disturbed by Marie’s plight, Perci risks everything to save her. He then embarks on a road leading to bloodshed and death. A deranged knight instructs him to draw on pride and hatred, while the fading voice of a little girl beckons him to follow the path of peace. Can he find true peace and forgiveness before it is too late?
Interwoven throughout the story, a Catholic cardinal, an Irish monk, and a Waldensian minister struggle to accommodate changing circumstances. Divine appointments draw them together for a heart-rending, climactic conclusion.