In the wake of their battle, the cabal discusses their next step. In a few short hours, the Antediluvian will arise when the sun sets and they still haven’t found a way to stop it. From Adele’s scrying they know it has a couple dozen ghost mages, most of whom now possess bodies, living and vampiric. Adele is sure she can break their anchors but if the way they are locked into their mortal vessels they won’t return to the Underworld on their own. She decides to dampen their captive ghost mage’s connection to the Antediluvian in any case, hoping to leave it less aware of their doings. Colt and Mammon bring up the idea of summoning spirits of ice to help defeat the ancient vampire, using the one weakness they know of to best effect. Diana suggests talking to Strega Giovanni. He knows a good deal about ghosts and vampires. Moreover his warehouse is nearby and they need to hide their captive soon.
They quickly hurry there and knock on the warehouse door. After a moment the door is opened by a scarred Arabic man. Adele and Colt can see his strange ghost like aura and a bizarre ghost wrapped in barbed wire and arcing with electricity hovers over him. After a short hushed conversation with Diana Coal, he hurries back inside. A few minutes later he returns and motions them in. Inside it is cool and armed zombies stand at attention while ghostly gangsters equipped with spectral tommyguns guard in twilight. Ahmed, the doorman, shows them to an upstairs office. There they encounter a woman named Jill with the same strange aura. A sickly looking ghost leaking green pus from slashed wrists and its neck lurks beside her. As Ahmed and Colt apply first aid to their captive, Adele scrutinizes the strangers’ auras. They seem possessed or merged with a ghost. Rota informs her that they are Sineaters, humans who have made a pact with a Giest, a spirit-ghost hybrid, at the moment of their death. They are known to be tough and possess powerful ghostly powers.
Strega soon arrives with two Sleeper bodyguards in tow. He quickly sends them out when he sees the situation. He demands to know what is going on. As they explain the arrival of the Antediluvian, he reacts with anger and flippant disbelief. As the coming doom sinks in he directs Ahmed and Jill to quietly move someone or something to a ship. The two leave and later they can hear something heavy being moved. As they examine their options, Rota points out they could use the ghost mages against the Antediluvian. The paradox they create is channeled into their anchor, replicating the method of their death in its fate. Mammon calls Athaliah and the council, learning that Decima has had the same idea. The council has begun searching for more of the ghost mages to channel paradox against the Antediluvian. Mammon quickly calls Decima. The Deacon arranges for a van to stop by to pick up their captive. Valkyrie contact the Adamantine Arrow, making sure they help with capturing more ghost mages. She also conjures up a cold snap across the city, hoping to make it icier and weakening the Antediluvian. Adele tries scrying the ghost mages which are not the ancient vampire. She determines that two lie to the west, one to the south, and a last one north of them. But she is unable to scry them directly. And then they realize Colt has gone missing.
As they scramble trying to find him, Colt had already stepped through a magical gateway into a pristine forest in Shadow. He spots an old man dressed in animal skins who leads him to a clearing. The wizened Native American talks to him in a foreign tongue but somehow he understands him. The shaman explains he is from the Circle of Four, here to tutor him in the legacy and to warn him that he must not destroy the Antediluvian. It was placed under the city to guard the location and to keep the bound Supernal god there from being released. Someone is working to undo their defences however, though the old man is unable to say who. Another mage however broke into a Wending, a pocket realm made by the original Circle. This person stole the Talisman, the strange bronze stele Colt saw in his earlier initiation. When the mage left he sealed the gateway leaving the realm accessible only from the Dragon Gate. When Colt asks about it, he receives a vision of its location in Mexico. Colt inquires further and determines that the the interloper was Cicero. After his initiation the shaman vanishes leaving a gateway back to Strega’s warehouse.
Colt reappears, informing the others of what he has learned. In the end they decide to see if they can find Cicero. They ask Strega to keep an eye out for more ghost mages and leave. Outside the van from the Promethean arrives and they send their captive to Decima.
As the sun moves closer to the horizon, they arrive at the burnt out ruins of Cicero’s sanctum. As they scale wreckage down into the remains of his underground lair, they can feel the thrum of powerful magics reactivating. The generators are coming back online and the ley lines are realigning. The source of the magic is clearly Cicero. Underground they spot a doorway cracked open with light spilling out. Diana Coal creeps forward to check it out. Together with Valkyrie, she spies a huge chamber filled with machinery and light. Then they hear Cicero inviting them inside for tea.
They enter a huge room filled with laboratory equipment and giant robots. Cicero is seated at a small table pouring some coffee and tea. After some prodding Cicero admits to being an Archmage. He tells them that he needs the Talisman in his plans for Ascension. Releasing the supernal deity Algol is a part of that. Circero states that Algol was topple from his proper place by the Exarchs and returning him to the Supernal is the proper course. He disapproves of the philosophy of the Circle of Four, who distrusted cities and believed tribalism was the perfect society. Colt assures Cicero that while he is a member of the legacy, he has his own beliefs. Cicero agrees to a deal with Colt. He will return the Talisman once he is done with it and work to minimize the harm caused by Algol’s escape. He tells them that Algol’s escape is not imminent. When asked about the other person working for Algol’s release, Cicero hints that Decima is the one they should talk to. As they go to leave, Colt asks for a weapon against the Antediluvian. Cicero enchants Colt’s shotgun with potent Matter and Forces enchantments.
Arriving at the Promethean at dusk, they find another ghost mage was captured after the death of one of their own, Samson. Decima has the two bound and slumbering, awaiting the proper time. She also has Dr. Ahmed of the Silver Reserve there, hoping the Sleeper will help increase the Paradox. As the ghosts awaken, they lash out with lightning and fire, conjuring magical birds and snakes to attack everyone in the room. But a barrier placed in the room thwarts them. Mammon works to keep Ahmed calm and sane as the ghost mages lash out again and again. Valkyrie works to snuff out any fires that start up. One of them snaps his chains and hurls himself telekinetically against the Ward that encircles him. Colt steps forward and heals the wounded ghost mage so he can continue to build up paradox. Finally the paradox peaks and their bonds to their anchor, the Antediluvian, snap. The mad creatures collapse exhausted.
Decima scries and determines that the ancient vampire is heading to a police station, in fact the center of the Cryptology of the Knights Protectorate. Colt calls and warns Detective Green. As most of the cabal rushes to save the police, Adele examines and extracts the ghost mages, releasing them into the Underworld.
The others rush over to the police station. They are already late. The corpses of officers and their attackers litter the building. They hurry inside where gunfire indicates some survivors. They arrive at a hallway where the Antediluvian is slowly advancing on the last group of police officers. The others hold back as Colt attempts to sneak up on the vampire. Weakened and riddled with bullets, the ancient monster turns to face him. Valkyrie drops the temperature in the room, while Mammon tries to stop its attack. Colt shoots his shotgun into it. Shards of ice lance into its body, wounding it grievously. As the cops open fire on it, it lashes out, embedding its claws into Colt’s intestines. Gritting his teeth he pushes away from the monster’s hold and fires as he falls back. The shot plunges through its body hitting a fire extinguisher behind it. The device explodes knocking down a ceiling light. A loose wire hits the monster and electricity races through its body. It stands for a moment stunned and then crumbles into a pile of smoke and ash. The mages however see something black and formless in Twilight. The resonance-less spirit escapes before they can do anything.
But they have stopped the Antediluvian and save a handful of police officers, including Detective Green. The officer is catatonic and hurt, but he will survive. The Guardians of the Veil arrive soon after to clean up and alter the memories of the few witnesses.