"It ought to be quite a show," said the squire, obviously enjoying the attention of the crowd. "The false Shamer has been convicted of witchcraft and treason and is to be executed tomorrow."

I couldn't move. I couldn't breathe. I knew now where my mother was. Drakan had her. And tomorrow he would give her to the dragons.

Who dares look into the Shamer's eyes? Dina has unwillingly inherited her mother's gift: the ability to elicit shamed confessions simply by looking into someone's eyes. To Dina, however, these powers are not a gift but a curse. Surrounded by fear and hostility, she longs for simple friendship.

But when her mother is called to Dunark Castle to uncover the truth about a bloody triple murder, Dina must come to terms with her power―or let her mother fall prey to the vicious and revolting dragons of Dunark.