Lee brings the tale of infamous sixteenth-century serial-killer Elizabeth Bathory into the present day with a secret war between descendants. The Scions, descendants of Bathory¿s victims, seek retribution through the centuries by eradicating her female Progeny , who are marked by uncanny powers of beauty and persuasion. Emily Jacobs is one such Progeny , hiding under a new identity with her memory wiped (in this near future, the Center for Memory Research can erase identities). Despite her remote location, Emily is found by men who swear to protect her, but one is a Scion who will kill her as soon as he learns her secrets. To defend herself, Emily will have to investigate her past, even if that means relearning a secret so dangerous that she had it erased.