Overview

Gloria infiltrates the New Orleans Grendel clan, presided over by the deadly Renute, and discovers that some very bad juju is afoot. Meanwhile, deep in the Louisiana bayou, Mantovani and Calhoun are hot on the trail of the mysterious child who holds the key to the Batiaque slayings -- only to find Renute's men lying in wait. As if that weren't enough, the fourth Grendel, Bixby, goes on a lunatic rampage, slaughtering everything in his path!

Summary

Gloria watched a voodoo rite, and becomes more and more disillusioned with the New Orleans Grendel Krewe. She sets her sights on Renute as the man who controls the treasure she seeks. She continues to manipulate Radley in order to get information from him.

Renute himself has his eyes on all four of the Grendels who have become active in his city, hoping they do not ruin his plans to become the reincarnation of Hunter Rose.

Bixby, meanwhile, is killing everyone he meets, thinking they are trolls.

Calhoun and Mantovani search the swamps for Simone, Calhoun's lost love (and Bixby's as well). They find her--now a vampire--at the same time as some of Renute's Grendel soldiers. They all fight, and Renute's men and Simone are all killed. Her unnamed young son survives. We discover that Mantovani has a silver bionic hand.