The cover art by illustrator Christian McGrath depicts Harry standing in front of a brick wall, with his wizard's staff in one hand and a revolver in the other, as flames rise around him.

One year after the events in White Night, Dresden is attacked by a squad of gruffs - goat-like soldiers who serve the Summer Court - and called by Sgt.

Anastasia Luccio, captain of the Wardens, agrees to bring in the Archive (a young girl nicknamed "Ivy" by Dresden) as a neutral arbitrator.

After he updates her, a huge gruff enters to challenge Dresden to a duel, but relents when Murphy invokes her duties as a law officer.

Dresden and Michael Carpenter travel to Union Station to retrieve the samples, but must fend off minions of Winter and an even larger gruff.

Once Ivy and her bodyguard Kincaid arrive, the group retreats to Dresden's apartment in order to formulate a strategy for dealing with the Denarians.

Dresden strikes a deal with Nicodemus to trade Ivy's safe return for all the coins taken from the dead Denarians and Fidelacchius, the sword carried by Shiro as a Knight of the Cross.

In the hospital chapel, Dresden has a heated discussion with a janitor, who explains that God has a plan for everyone and vanishes, leaving behind a worn copy of The Two Towers with a marked section.