Prince Casteel “Cas” Da’Neer has just rescued Penellaphe “Poppy” Balfour from the court of Solis and taken her to the keep in New Haven, a region close to his homeland Atlantia, which lies to the east of Solis. Cas tells Poppy in public that he intends to marry her soon on Atlantian soil. A shocked Poppy refuses the proposal. Courtiers, including Elijah, a wolven (werewolf), laugh good-naturedly. A wolven called Landell, however, questions Cas’s decision and ridicules Poppy for her scarred face and her ties with the Ascended, the vampry (vampire) elite of Solis.

The people of Solis and the Atlantians have been brought up to hate each other. Poppy believed till recently that kissing an Atlantian would turn her into a zombie, but she knows this is untrue because she has had sex with Cas. The Atlantians despise the Ascended, who turn or “ascend” each other into immortal vampires through bites and demand the third-born children of commoners as tribute to feed their bloodlust. However, when Landell pulls out a dagger to threaten Poppy, Cas jumps over the table and rips Landell’s heart out.