Maeb Langtofte is lucky to have a position in the household of the Earl
of Pengraic--one of the most powerful men in England, whose holdings
rival King Edmond's. She is lucky that his wife, Adelie, whom Maeb
serves, is kind and pious (unlike the Earl, whom Maeb finds dark and
secretive). But when word arrives that a plague is sweeping through
Europe like a human wildfire, everyone in the Earl's household is put on
edge. It is whispered that victims of this plague are spontaneously
engulfed in flames--as if the flames of Hell had suddenly leapt up to
claim them and the Devil himself is to blame.
As the disease spreads into England, so too does civil unrest. King
Edmond calls his lords and their armies to return to London, and the
Earl obeys, leaving Maeb and his family unprotected. It turns out that
the Earl has been hiding more than state secrets, and that his family is
at risk of losing not only their lives but also their souls. To her
horror, Maeb will learn that the Devil himself may have arrived on her
doorstep. And worse, what he demands may be running through her very
veins.