Synopsis: From the back cover of the Ace first edition: "Honor demands blood. She is a sensei, a teacher, a master of the martial arts. Her weapon is a 400-year-old black sword forged in secret; her ambition is to find the perfect student, one worthy of her blade. He is a thief, a poet, a scholar, a soldier - and one of the best of the Matadors, the elite cadre of bodyguards who sparked a revolution. Now, stripped of his honor, forbidden the weapons that set him apart, he must begin again. Their enemy is hidden in the House of Black Steel, protected by power and money. He has stolen her secret, and his honor, and nearly claimed their lives. Their only hope of survival - and vengeance - lies in the strength of... Black Steel"