Peter Octavian's powerful sorcery guards his world against evil. Now he must go on a perilous journey to save those condemned to a fate worse than death itself...When Octavian called upon Gaea to rid the Earth of demons, her magic banished not only the demons but also the Shadows--vampires who had foresworn evil and fought alongside him, some for many years. Together with two unlikely companions--a wise-cracking goblin with the ability to walk the paths between worlds, and a demon changeling struggling to come to terms with what he is--Octavian sets out on what seems to be an impossible mission: to free his friends from Hell. There he finds some unexpected figures from his past--and an enemy of his own making, driven by an implacable hatred, whose power is equal to his own and whose quest for vengeance is personal.