When Anna's papa is arrested for heresy, she stows away in a wagon, scheming to rescue him from the dreary dungeon in the Castle of Valkenburg. The 16th century Holy Roman Emperor, Charles V, has deemed it his God-given duty to purge the kingdom of heresy, and already blood flows across the land like a river. Events in Valkenburg are such that Anna returns home despising the heretics, especially one of their leaders, Menno Simons.

Even under continual persecution, one-by-one, Anna's family and friends receive the believer's baptism and identify themselves as the brethren, true followers of Christ. To rid herself from their frightening cloak of influence Anna abandons her tiny village of Visserswert for German lands and accompanies her mam on a journey across waters to restore an old friendship. Ironically, the friend's husband, Martinus Luther, is a famous religious reformer-another heretic.

At the Black Cloister, an intriguing Wittenberg printer ardently pursues Anna, but her rebellious heart favors Peter, a young Anabaptist man. When Peter presumptuously acts as her protector, swords clash, placing Anna at a seemingly impossible crossroad. Each cobblestone path looms more perilous than the next.

What makes the brethren so courageous that they risk their lives for their beliefs? Is anyone in the kingdom even capable of keeping Anna's spoiled and rebellious heart?

Her insides still quaked every time she remembered the angry beadles who had apprehended her papa. Since then, weeks had passed and hope of her papa's release grew slim. She had only just barely recovered from her heart-rending experience at the Palmkens. She could not survive another loss, not one so dear as Papa.

Now her fellow travelers, still unaware of her presence, were busy setting up camp. If I can just stay awake until the others sleep, I can help myself to some rations and sneak out of the wagon to see to my personal needs. She eased her cranky bones into a more comfortable position then froze at the sound of her brother's voice and footsteps.

"I'll get our bedclothes before it gets dark," Willem said, his voice just beyond the wagon.

Anna sucked in her breath and waited. A hand brushed against her thigh. A draft of cold air enveloped her as the blankets around her peeled backward. There was a long silence.

"Anna?" She watched her brother's surprise turn to anger. "What is the meaning of this?"

She exhaled and scooted up on an elbow. Willem's face contorted into a large scowl.

Well, she wasn't pleased either. "Ye don't need to use that tone with me, Willem."