It is 2112, two decades after World War III. The world is still reeling from the devastation that destroyed half the human population. Cities are in chaos, with food, energy, and fresh water dwindling. Governments are crumbling, and crime is rampant. Natural and manmade disasters are causing mass panic. Oddly enough, the Vatican City is one of the most stable governments on Earth, for the small city-state had stayed out of the war and its politics. Yet Pope John Paul IV senses there is something wrong, something evil inside the Vatican. But he is dying and does not have the strength to fight it. Adding to his woes, one hundred and forty meteoroids are racing toward Earth. Additionally, a mysterious blackthorn tree erupts from the steps of Saint Peter's Basilica. Many see it as a sign of hope from heaven, and the faithful fill Saint Peter's Square, further taxing the Vatican's limited resources. Dragona'ra, a powerful vampire and Asian crime boss, plots to assassinate the Pope and suppress the Church in China. Meanwhile, at home, a powerful Cardinal haunts the Vatican at night, preying on those who won't be missed to satisfy his blood curse. At the same time, a second Cardinal dedicates himself to a sacred quest. He teams up with a religious Sister, young priest, and the Nephilim vampire Cain'el, outcast of Eden, to recover religious artifacts with magical powers, in an effort to save the Earth from destruction.About the Author: Steve Burch served in the misty smoke-filled rooms of intelligence during the "Cold War." He worked with characters whose feats and eccentricities bordered on the fantastic. Having looked into the past to predict the future, he is a dreamer who never lost the thrill of exploring, unraveling, and solving the puzzle. Steve is a natural-born storyteller who "spins a mean yarn and takes the yarn and weaves it into a polished story. He is a student of myth, lore, and legend, and a lover of ancient history. In addition to, Steve and Lori Alaniva his editor and illustrator has collaborated on other fictional works in 2013 and 2014: Romancing Boudica, Angels and Vampires, and two other fictional works in 2000 and 2001: Mercury's Fire and Dragon Lady and the Pirates: Epiphany (under the pen name Pendragon Tales). They also collaborated on a couple of nonfiction works: Imperfect Spies, and Reluctant Spies, which were published and distributed throughout the US Air Force and Department of Defense intelligence communities under their own names. Former US Army and Air Force intelligence officers respectively, they are now married and no longer in Government service and collaborate on other non-fiction works, historical fictional, and fictional novels about, spies, swords, fangs, and fantasy.