Armed with the passion of youth and her childhood fantasies, Rhia Bryant swears a pact with her best friend Jimmy Grant to find the meaning of the word 'freedom'. Cities of wonder and delight become the backdrop for pleasure and pain as she is led into the secret world of Kurt, a protest marcher from her days at university. Meeting Kurt once more changes her life forever, but does he hold a secret that is far beyond her imagination? Through 'art' sketched onto her body by the hands of an exceptional tattooist, Rhia enters a world of deceit and lies, forcing those whom she loves to walk in her shadow. Questions arise as to how she must act towards Jimmy and who she can trust. For when deception is stripped away, what is left? And can freedom be redefined?