Elias has wanted to be in the Papal Guard since he saw them in a parade when he was five, and he's now the most promising young guardsmen among the small army. He's on his way to serving the God he worships and the church he loves for the rest of his life.

But Elias and the other Papal Guards that are his brothers are suddenly deployed on the most significant mission the army has had since 1527, when 147 Swiss guards died defending Pope Clement VII. They must now act as a security detail that moves a prisoner, the devil himself, to the Mount of Temptation, so his execution can be properly carried out.

But the devil's loyal legions want their master back, and what follows is a battle of biblical proportions. A battle that will reveal to Elias and his fellow guardsman secrets about the devil, the church, and themselves.