Second instalment in the bold new historical fantasy of a secret order of Roman monster-hunters.

"I am shadow, and I am terror. They call me Silent Claw."

Aemilius and his new comrades in the Hidden Legion have a new mission: to infiltrate the villa of a powerful politician and foil a plot against him.

Posing as a servant to their host's "cousin" and her "children"-the Legion's latest recruits, a pair of adorable orphans trained in murder and espionage-Aemilius must keep his cover, while helping expose a killer who always seems one step ahead of them.

As his newfound magical powers slowly unfold, he begins to hear the thoughts of animals and finds unexpected new allies, including a housecat with an inflated sense of its own importance.

He'll need all the help he can get, as the Legion find themselves locked in a desperate fight for survival against a foe with even darker and more terrible powers than those they faced in Alexandria.