A dazzling queer fantasy from the bestselling author of A Marvellous Light, brimming with steamy romance, rougeish charm and intrigue. Perfect for fans of Travis Baldree, Lex Croucher and Casey McQuiston. Low stakes. High heat. Sharp steel . . . Mattinesh Jay, heir to his family's struggling business, needs his arranged marriage to go off without a hitch. But if he's to successfully restore his house's fortunes, Matti must first hire a swordsman to defend him against any sword-challenges at the altar. Unfortunately, the only duellist he can afford is part-time con artist and full-time charming menace Luca Piere. All Luca wants to do is make some easy money and forget the crime he committed in his home town. He didn't plan on being blackmailed into giving sword lessons to a chronically responsible - and inconveniently handsome - wool merchant like Matti. However, neither Matti's business troubles nor Luca himself are quite what they seem. As secrets threaten to drive a blade through their growing alliance, both Matti and Luca will have to answer the question: how many lies are you prepared to strip away when the truth could mean losing everything you want?