Abel's search for the "star" has tangled him in the web of war. Sister Esther seeks vengeance for the death of her mentor and has gone to great lengths in her quest to eliminate the one ultimately responsible.

The Rosen Kreuz has surfaced again. Fueling the personal revenge of others for their own evil ends, the nefarious order could plunge both races back into the dark days of Armageddon.

After returning to Rome and joining AX, Sister Esther encounters a crying boy on the vast grounds. Following her attempts at comforting him, she learns that he is none other than Pope Alessandro.

The murder of clergy in Amsterdam, their bodies drained of blood, draws Lady Caterina's attention. The local vampires, fearing Vatican retribution, seek out those responsible as Father Hugue investigates.

A string of freighter attacks seems to be the work of unusual vampiric faeries. On an island meant to be a retreat for the orphaned, Abel and former AX agent Leon investigate the mystery.

Abel and Sister Noelle travel to Barcelona to sift through the ruins of the collapsed National Palace. True feelings surface against such a beautiful backdrop - but so does the face of the enemy.

AX scrambles to prevent Rosen Kreuz from destroying Rome with the Silent Noise device, but they may have to act without Abel. Driven by despair, Abel considers turning in his gun.

Under house arrest, Lady Caterina finds herself face to face with a manipulative enemy. Abel's efforts to save her result in an encounter with a dangerous new foe.

To hunt a mass murderer in Venice, Nightroad works with Asta, who holds a great deal of contempt for all things human.

Whispers of an assassination attempt on the Lady Caterina turn agents of the Vatican against each other. Abel seeks a safe path through the hostilities harbored by both sides, and Esther must be the guide.

Abel and Esther must protect the messenger from the Empire, Ion Fortuna. And as Cartago undergoes martial law, hope rests on the small group of refugees, alone and outnumbered, forced underground.

As the Puppet Master, a face from Esther's past, creates chaos, the Rosen Kreuz formulates a murderous plan to inflame the hatred between the two races.

The Puppet Master has turned Ion's childhood home into a carnival of carnage, and with the young vampire blamed for the atrocities, Abel must seek help from the only other vampire he's ever let live.

Abel and Asta plan to plead Ion's case to the Imperial Council, and Ion and Esther search the city for answers. But when their trail leads to further intrigue, betrayal comes from beyond the grave.

While Esther recovers from her injuries with the help of the enigmatic child Seth, Ion is stunned to find himself face to face with Radu.

Ion and Esther find themselves unwitting pawns in an elaborate plot to murder the Empress. As treachery emerges from shadow, so does a ghost from Ester's past.

Esther and Ion are freed from prison, and the true identity of the Empress is revealed. When she joins Abel in battle against Dietrich, secrets of the past come to light.

While in Londinium for the Queen of Albion's funeral, Esther and Pope Alessandro are taken hostage by vampires. The AX must rescue them before Cardinal Medici makes a martyr of the Pope.

The AX, the Inquisitorial Department, and the rebel terrorists each race to find Pope Alessandro first. Meanwhile, the Rosen Kreuz prepares to exploit the crisis for its own sinister purpose.

Rosen Kreuz soldiers slaughter the underground populace, while Petro battles to guide the Pope to safety. Abel's confrontation with Dietrich leads to a foe of even greater power.

Cain and Isaak Fernand von Kampfer begin the first phase of their quest to destroy the people of the world, both human and vampire. Meanwhile, a startling revelation awaits Esther, one that will forever reshape her destiny.

Allies and enemies, both human and vampire, work together against the enemy of the world - the Contra Mundi. Resurrected from the grave, not even death can keep Abel Nightroad from his fate.