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

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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, Nightroad considers turning in his gun.

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.

Nightroad 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.