Publisher's Synopsis
Sometimes the only path to the future lies in the past. Catherine is now the Warden of Time in the alternate history the Cruelty created as a trap for the Harlequin. She's spent a year and a half desperately trying to keep this timeline outside the dominion of Time, because she knows that only the Harlequin, with his centuries of experience ruling Time, can keep their children safe. And as long as Wilhelmina, the uncrowned ruler of Cruelty, and her brothers are trapped there with her, the war between Time and Cruelty is stopped in the present. But if the Harlequin somehow finds his way back, Catherine will have to face the consequences of betraying his trust--and that's something too horrible to think about. Just as she sets her plan to kill Cruelty's get in motion, the Harlequin breaks back into the timeline. Catherine knows she's now facing a disaster. The Harlequin has never tolerated betrayal on any level. But even worse, now he's right back in the trap that Catherine tried so desperately to keep him out of. Now it seems like all the sacrifices Catherine's made have been a waste, and she's sacrificed a year and a half with her beloved family only to fail at the last possible moment. But the Harlequin's reappearance in her life teaches her a harsh lesson about the immortals who rule every aspect of life. If there's one thing more implacable than Time, it's fate...and the oblivion that comes when one meets their destiny at last.
