CAN THE EMPIRE SURVIVE?The invasion of the Blood-Drinkers has begun, but the Empire is also under attack from within, as the Sleepless Ones scheme to Wake the Beast After the deadly attack on Manasa, the travelers part company: Decimus to bring a warning to the General, Thomasius to escort a capricious Senator's daughter to safety. Mara, abused and dishonored, must face the judgement of the Horse People, while Aulus, if he is to help her, must cast off his fear and become a man. And the eunuch Florianus, offered a remarkable chance to enter the history books, must now choose between the light and the dark...Part four of The Gardens of the West.
