After years of intense training, Catherine Seymour is finally ordained as a knight. Eager to prove herself, she participates in her father's jousting tournament. The moment she's knocked out of her saddle by the new warrior known as the Crusader, the world she hoped to build for herself begins to slowly crash down. She visits the Crusader's tent to see the face of the warrior that bested her, only to find herself smitten with the beautiful, copper-haired Helena. There are just two problems with her new-found crush. One; her father is insistent he passes the village of Birkstead down to his future grandchildren. Two; Helena is a vampire. The presence of the undead in sleepy little Birkstead becomes undisputable when a pair of feuding vampires destroy the chapel and kill her former mentor, Sir Walter Alwyn. Grief-stricken, Catherine reports what happened and is tasked to retrieve two sets of vampiric remains before the end of the week. If she succeeds, she will be able to choose who she marries. If she fails, she'll be married to a nobleman of her father's choosing. That or she'd die trying. Catherine stumbles across Helena's lair at the edge of the village and reluctantly asks the vampire for help killing her mentor's murderer; the very vampire Helena despises. As time runs out, Catherine's feelings for Helena blossom and she finds herself more and more unwilling to make Helena's remains the set she needs to ensure she retains the coveted role of knight. Will she kill Helena as her quest and her vow to the Church demand?