The Runestones' Avatars—Wyrdrune, Kira, Angelo, and Slade—are finallybacked by the entire military in their war against the necromantic Dark Ones...but it may be too little, and far too late. For on a dragon-infested peak, Talon, the most brilliant of the evil immortals, has already captured all the surviving Dark Ones. Here near Tucson he leeches their life force to empower a cult of sorcerous assassins programmed to launch a worldwide slaughter spree. And each murder feeds Talon, giving him more power than the spirits and the Runestones. The Avatars think they're battling an evil wizard. But they're about to face a mad god...