"A.D. 308. Demitria Caepio and her brother Theseus are expert divers, by day harvesting pearls and coral for a merchant who turns a blind eye to the fact that they are Christians, a dangerous identity in the face of the edicts Emperor Diocletian has passed to eradicate believers. By night, Demi and Theseus assume a far riskier and more difficult task: going upriver to trade goods on the underground Christian network, becoming the lifeline that supports the believers still living in Myra and its port village of Andriake. Demi seems fearless, but her bravado is a cover for her secret shame and guilt. She doubts she can ever do enough good to overcome the fallout of her greatest misstep years before. Then Theseus is severely injured in a diving accident, and Demi beaches her boat on the outskirts of Andriake where she meets a stranger who introduces himself as Nikolas. Nikolas inherited the vast wealth of his father's shipping enterprise after his brother's tragic death, an accident he blames himself for. Nikolas arrived in Myra to pastor the church and is determined to use his wealth for good, secretly giving it away to help others. The needs are dire as the emperor's birthday approaches--and with it a large pagan festival--the violence against the Christians growing all the greater. As the danger increases, Demi begins helping Nikolas supply Christians upriver with the food and money they need to survive. Then one night, Demi and Nikolas are followed by the emperor's soldiers who will stop at nothing to capture them. Demi escapes but Nikolas is taken. With Nikolas and other church leaders imprisoned, Demi must decide whether she will continue the work they have begun. Doing so means she must finally confront the choices she made years ago and decide whether the faith she calls her own is worth risking everything for... and if it is strong enough to sustain her in the face of devastating losses." -- Provided by publisher.