"Having barely escaped the clutches of the Darkwalker, Inspector Nicolas Lenoir throws himself into his work with a determination he hasn't known in years. But his legendary skills are about to be put to the test. A horrific disease is ravaging the city--and all signs point to it having been deliberately unleashed. With a mass murderer on the loose, a rising body count, and every hound in the city on quarantine duty, the streets of Kennian are descending into mayhem, while Lenoir and his partner, Sergeant Bran Kody, are running out of time to catch a killer and find a cure. Only one ray of hope exists: the nomadic Adali, famed for their arcane healing skills, claim to have a cure. But dark magic comes at a price, one even the dying may be unwilling to pay. All that's left to Lenoir is a desperate gamble. And when the ashes settle, the city of Kennian will be changed forever ..."--Page 4 of cover.