IN 12TH CENTURY KASHMIR, IPPOLITO AND RUTH ARE ABOUT TO EMBARK ON A LIFE-ALTERING ADVENTURE... To escape an assassination plot hatched by the mad queen of Gujarat, Ippolito and Ruth travel underground to safety. And they discover the mad queen is the least of their worries.

Facing hordes of rats, oversized crocodiles and the dangers of the Himalayan mountains, the party are pushed to their limits. Only an orphaned snow leopard named Whisper and monks from the Buddha's Smile monastery offer refuge and solace.

But safety isn't all it seems when the monastery that houses them comes under attack. Ippolito and Ruth join the fight to protect their new community, a fight that will reveal true identities and divine guides.