In the glittering society of nineteenth-century Buenos Aires, Inez Olivera has everything, except the one thing she really wants: her parents, who frequently leave her behind on their globetrotting adventures.

Then she receives a terrible letter: her parents have passed away in mysterious circumstances. Determined to uncover the truth, she sets sails for their last port-of-call, Cairo, bringing only her sketch pads and an ancient ring that her father sent to her for safekeeping.

But upon her arrival in Egypt, the ring flares with ancient magic, and Inez is thrust into a treacherous game that could threaten her life - and into the path of her new guardian's infuriatingly handsome assistant, who seems determined to thwart her at every turn . . .