Joey Bianco’s been around for a long time. His dad fought in the First World War, and Joey himself fought in the Second. After that war he ended, he spent the next seventy years as a cop in Fort City, the roughest, meanest, ugliest city in the United States of America. He’s seen it all; every murder, every theft, every act of horror people can commit can. Ah, the joys of being a vampire. At this point, the only thing Joey cares about is his fellow Black Coats and the humans that quench their eternal blood lust. Everybody else can take a long walk of a short pier as far as Joey’s concerned.

Jen Ryan is Joey’s newest squire, his apprentice in learning the ways of vampiredom. She’s as eager as a kid who grew up on Anne Rice and the Old World of Darkness can be. Vampires have to be better than the humans who tormented and abused her, right? But Jen, for all her idealism and naivete, has some dark secrets of her own. Secrets that will push her into becoming a vampire, no matter what the cost.

Together, they must unravel the mystery of Akisha Jones’ death. And the more they uncover, the more they can’t shake the feeling they’re walking into a war…