After the events chronicled in Bedlam's Bard, world-saving bard and magician Eric hopes to settle down to the quiet life. No such luck: his apartment building is a safe-house for a group of occult Guardians protecting New York from supernatural evil. And there's a new evil for them to guard against...

Unethical researchers are planning to raise a psychotropic drug-enslaved army of mercenaries. But this gets the attention of Aerune mac Audelaine, lord of the dark Unseleighe Sidhe, who hopes to use the drugs to break through to the human world. Both plans will bring terror to the world-and both are threatened by the very existence of Eric Banyon.

With his possibly loyal companions-a beautiful elven half-breed and a gargoyle-Eric heads for a three-way battle of wizardry that will determine Gotham's fate-and his own.