Only very old objects can satiate her appetite, and she was lucky enough to find work in an antique shop after dropping out of university. While not at all talented at customer service, Theo can detect which objects are most ancient, which is occasionally helpful to her boss (although he wishes she'd get better at distinguishing between valuable antiques and old junk). With her unique aptitude (and voracious craving) for finding aged items, Theo has always known there was something off about herself and isn't especially surprised when a mage appears, locks them both inside the antique shop, and invites Theo to become a Protector of the Ancients. Theo, perfectly content chasing the country for antiques, isn't particularly interested in the offer until she learns that her new position will be based at Elysti, a castle promised to be older than anything in her wildest imagination. More ravenous than ever, Theo agrees to the nebulous offer, but soon learns that the Ancients are a race of unhelpful pacifists, their Oaths leave them in constant danger against the extremist groups who long to see them annihilated, her team is no more skilled at defense than she is, and the Ancients' mysterious companion, Eli, might somehow be more compelling than the most ancient of ruins. As she settles into her new job, Theo finds herself wondering what is more important: the antiques she covets so intensely, or having people to share them with.