Bride of the Dark One

The story is set on Yaroto, a haven for outcasts where a jinx-marked acolyte, Ransome, is cornered on the night of Bani-tai, when the Darion priests mark debts of expiation. In a torchlit café the proprietor Mytor, who preys on desperation, watches a dancer and offers the weary Earthman escape in return for service. Mytor tempts him with news of a pirate ship, the Callisto Queen, and hints at a personal link to its captain, forcing Ransome to weigh a perilous flight against long-standing cult obligations and the danger that follows him across worlds.