Taja once lived as a toy to rich and powerful men and boys who sought her arms. Then through stable master Braylon, she found that even she could have a better life. However, in his absence, the acting master and a stable boy, Semaj, remind her of what life was like. Her drunken mother is no help as she blames Taja for escaping luxury to do honest work. As Taja tries to stay on her chosen path, a handsome foreigner is the only support she finds. The first time she ran away, fearing what he would want in return. The second time, he walked away from her.But he can’t always be there, and when Semaj finally acts on his desires, Taja must fight. When the guard gets involved, it becomes clear that the city will never allow her to start over, not without a protector.