In 1889 London, vampire-hunter Evaline Stoker and investigator Mina Holmes once again join forces at the request of the Princess of Wales--this time their mission is to escort and protect a princess who is part of a trade mission from Betrovia, a country which has had a rocky relationship with England, starting with a four hundred-year-old dispute over a valuable Byzantine chessboard.

"Ever since the debacle of the Chess Queen Enigma, Mina Holmes and Evaline Stoker have laid low, trying to settle back into their quiet lives as young ladies of London. But the Holmesian deductive abilities won't remain dormant for long, and when Mina receives a strange package from a winged, midnight visitor, she is catapulted into a new, mysterious adventure: the search for The Carnelian Crow. Meanwhile, Evaline has received some very disturbing...

"Directly descended from the very first vampire hunter in the Gardella family, Victoria knows she must continue the lineage so humanity will have protectors against the undead. While Sebastian Vioget appears to be both the perfect warrior and lover to ensure the Gardella legacy, Victoria cannot forget Max Pesaro--the former slayer still haunted by the vampire queen Lilith's obession with him."--p.[4] of cover

In 1889 Evaline Stoker, Mina Holmes, and their time traveler friend, Dylan are asked by the Princess of Wales to find out what happened to Robby Ashton, who may have drowned--but the reappearance of vampires in the heart of London threatens to become a more urgent problem.

As Rome prepares for its Carnival, vampire hunter Lady Victoria Gardella Grantworth de Lacy, determined to prove herself, turns to mysterious Sebastian Vioget for help when the city's vampires align themselves with an evil force to unlock the secrets of a legendary alchemist.

In every generation, a Gardella is called to accept the family legacy of vampire slaying, and this time, Victoria Gardella Grantworth is chosen, on the eve of her debut, to carry the stake. But as she moves between the crush of ballrooms and dangerous, moonlit streets. Victoria's heart is torn between London's most eligible bachelor, the Marquess of Rockley, and her enigmatic ally, Sebastian Vioget. And when she comes face to face with the most powerful...