The Thirteenth Koyote - Chapter Summaries

Verne, a scarecrow-built man with the skills of an undertaker, breaks open a sturdy coffin in a forgotten graveyard deep in the woods beyond Hope's Hill. This is no pauper's grave but a well-made coffin that requires significant effort and a pickaxe to open. The graveyard appears to be an old family plot or pioneer burial site, marked only by simple wooden crosses green with moss and rot, far from the proper Christian cemetery at the chapel.

Inside the coffin, Verne discovers a long-dead corpse with decayed flesh, hollowed eyes, and long grey sideburns. As a grave robber working under cover of darkness, he methodically searches the body for valuables, finding a silver pocket watch and some rings. The corpse has been in the ground for years, making it worthless for body snatching, so Verne focuses on whatever personal effects remain with the deceased.

While searching through the withered remains, Verne discovers something unexpected beneath the corpse's ribcage - a heavy golden capsule shaped like a large egg. The artifact is intricately engraved with strange symbols that Verne, despite his education, cannot identify. The markings appear to be of Indian origin mixed with what looks like Spanish or Italian lettering, suggesting the object has mysterious and possibly ancient origins.

When Verne carefully separates the golden egg along a thin line around its circumference, he discovers that the shell is incredibly thick - more than two fingers stacked. As the top comes free, he gasps at what lies within: something that begins to pulse with an otherworldly life, hinting at supernatural forces that will likely drive the story forward.

Glen Amaroq, leader of a cannibalistic outlaw gang called the Coyotes, leads his men across the mountains searching for fresh meat. His supernatural senses detect the scent of blood from a mile away, leading them to discover a scalped corpse that has been dead for about an hour. The victim appears to have been killed and robbed by Indians, leaving behind a naked body picked clean by buzzards. Glen's gang includes Hiram (his second-in-command), Dylan, Thad, and Webb - all violent men who share their leader's taste for human flesh.

Glen demonstrates his inhuman nature by using a mystical curved blade called a "chrisdagger" with an inverted pentagram handle and fire opal inlay that matches his blood-red eyes. The blade burns normal flesh but Glen's blackened calluses protect him as he methodically butchers the corpse. The gang prepares to feast on the human remains while discussing their next target: the town of Broken Ridge, where they plan to rob the bank and capture women for "breakfast." This establishes Glen as the story's primary antagonist - a supernatural predator leading a pack of human wolves.

Meanwhile in Hope's Hill, Grace Cowland has recently taken over as the town's schoolmarm, replacing the late Nana Buckingham. She encounters Father Blackwell, an ancient preacher who claims to be one of the town's founding settlers, and Sister Mabel while walking through town. Their pleasant conversation is interrupted by Cillian O'Connor, the eldest son of a local farming family, who arrives in a panic reporting that something terribly wrong has happened at his family's farm.

Cillian describes supernatural phenomena plaguing the O'Connor farm: horses refusing to be mounted, cows producing sour milk, crops turning black, and his father Shane developing black veins and vomiting black substance. Father Blackwell, Sister Mabel, Grace, and the other O'Connor children travel to the farm with driver Barley Reinhold. Upon arrival, they discover the crops have indeed turned black and rotted, and the family's livestock are behaving strangely. Inside the farmhouse, a supernatural darkness erupts - described as black light or shadow beams that flow like liquid. The manifestation is so violent it shatters windows and causes the house to shake, while Father Blackwell attempts to combat it with prayer and his Bible begins to smolder. In the chaos, Shane and Bridget O'Connor, along with their newborn baby, disappear entirely, leaving only their traumatized children behind. The incident sparks town-wide panic as similar supernatural blights begin affecting other farms and livestock throughout Hope's Hill, with residents torn between rational explanations and growing fears that their community has been cursed by witchcraft.

Chapter 3 Summary

Grace Cowland is abducted from her boarding room at the Abercrombie house by two rough men who claim people want her questioned. The men, Dalbert (tall with missing teeth) and his unnamed shorter partner, forcibly drag her from her room despite protests from housemother Joyce Abercrombie. They transport Grace in a stagecoach driven by Barley Reinhold, a man she recognized from the church, leading her to realize this is a coordinated effort against her.

During the journey, Grace learns she's been accused of witchcraft. Her captors reveal that someone has paid them to bring her in for questioning, though not necessarily the law. When Grace resists and kicks Dalbert in the face, she's struck in the neck with a gun butt. The men discuss taking her to the creek for interrogation, and Grace realizes the grave danger she faces as a woman alone with these violent men.

The stagecoach is intercepted by Marshal Henry Russell and two deputies, who block the road and demand Grace's release. Russell, a newcomer to Hope's Hill with a Southern accent and handlebar mustache, threatens Reinhold with his authority as a U.S. Marshal. When faced with the lawmen's guns, Grace's captors release her and flee. Russell banishes Reinhold and his hired men from town, warning them against returning.

At the marshal's office, Russell explains to Grace that as a newcomer, she's become a scapegoat for the town's recent troubles - bad crops, diseased cattle, and other misfortunes that the superstitious residents blame on witchcraft. Russell reveals he was sent by the town council to restore order after Constable Kirby fell ill with tuberculosis. The chapter establishes the growing tensions in Hope's Hill and introduces Russell as Grace's protector against the mounting hysteria surrounding her presence in town.

Chapter 4 Summary

The chapter opens with Vern, an undertaker struggling financially in Hope's Hill, who has discovered a mysterious golden capsule while grave robbing. Inside the capsule is a warm, pulsing mass about the size of a cottontail rabbit, covered in black syrup-like substance. When disturbed, the object produces smoke that behaves unnaturally, flowing along the ground like a black fog instead of rising. Vern, driven by greed and desperate to pay his debts, keeps the capsule hidden in his morgue desk, unsure of its value but recognizing it as something extraordinary.

Dr. Uriah Craven arrives at Vern's funeral home to purchase a fresh corpse for his illegal medical experiments. The body is Jane Hopkins, a seventeen-year-old girl killed when kicked by a mule. Their transaction reveals Vern's desperate financial situation and his past necrophilic encounter with a previous corpse, Sarah Parks. When Craven pays less than agreed, Vern becomes frustrated about his mounting debts and the risk of losing his business to the bank. In desperation, he shows Craven the golden capsule, hoping to interest the doctor in purchasing this unusual find.

Meanwhile, in the mountains outside town, Glen Amaroq, leader of the cannibalistic gang known as the Coyotes, sits by his campfire sensing something supernatural in the air. He detects the scent of Jasper Thurston, his dead mentor, whose dark magic appears to have been unleashed after being imprisoned for five years. Glen recognizes this as the reason for their journey to these mountains - the supernatural force is emanating from a small town that awaits their "wrath."

The chapter establishes three interconnected supernatural elements: Vern's mysterious pulsing artifact, Glen's detection of his mentor's released dark magic, and the growing evil presence converging on Hope's Hill. It reveals the town is about to become the target of Glen's murderous pack, while also introducing the disturbing underworld of grave robbing and illegal medical experimentation that exists beneath the town's surface.

Chapter 5 Summary

The chapter opens in a horrific underground chamber called the Holy Pit beneath a chapel, where three nuns - Sister Mabel, Sister Evelina, and Sister Genevieve - perform a blasphemous ritual. They drain children's blood through a golden Christ statue, filtering it through pipes in the crucified figure and drinking it as "purified" holy sacrament. The nuns justify this grotesque act as necessary to combat a demonic presence that has cursed their town with poisoned livestock and barren earth. Sister Mabel, clearly the leader, recognizes the evil as something she's encountered before and prays for divine strength to defeat it again.

Meanwhile, Marshal Henry Russell visits the Rusty Nail saloon where he meets Oscar Shiese, a large Black cowboy. When racist locals Earl and his friend try to provoke Oscar, a violent confrontation ensues. Oscar severely beats Earl while Russell intervenes to prevent the situation from escalating further. The marshal and Oscar develop a mutual respect, with Russell appreciating Oscar's character and fighting ability.

Sister Mabel arrives at the saloon with two other nuns, requesting escort to a "sacred place" on Black Mountain. Since Russell banished their previous driver, Barley Reinhold, she demands he provide protection for their journey. Russell agrees to escort them personally, with Oscar volunteering as a guide who knows the mountain trails. This establishes an unlikely alliance between the marshal, the cowboy, and the nuns for their dangerous mission.

The chapter concludes with Glen Amaroq and his Coyotes pack discovering a tent revival meeting outside the town of Onyx Banks. Driven by bloodlust and supernatural hunger, they launch a savage attack on the Mormon congregation. In an extremely graphic and disturbing massacre, the Coyotes brutally murder, rape, and cannibalize men, women, and children. Glen personally decapitates the preacher and commits horrific acts of violence and sexual assault. The pack feeds on their victims and destroys the religious gathering completely, leaving only a few survivors who escape into the woods.

Chapter 6 Summary

The chapter introduces Luther Byrne, a wolfer with supernatural abilities who has been hired to protect MacMillan's sheep from dire wolves. Unlike ordinary wolf hunters, Byrne doesn't need conventional weapons because he can communicate with wolves as if he were one of them. He bears a hidden brand scar from his past and has mixed heritage - part Native American from his father's side. When the large wolf pack arrives, led by a battle-scarred alpha, Byrne successfully negotiates with them rather than fighting, convincing the pack leader to relocate to better hunting grounds near Battle Creek where they can find wild prey instead of livestock.

After completing his job, Byrne travels to the town of Steel Branch where he visits a dance hall. There he meets Sorrow, a dance hall girl with blonde hair and green eyes who fled mill work for saloon employment. They share drinks and dance together, with Byrne being particularly drawn to her despite struggling to suppress his darker impulses from his past. Sorrow carries a hidden knife and hints at her own troubled background, suggesting both characters are running from something.

As Byrne leaves the saloon intoxicated, he initially enjoys the evening air and starlight. However, his mood changes dramatically when he detects a familiar, rancid odor on the night wind - something sour and decayed that triggers disturbing memories. The supernatural scent overwhelms even the natural woodland smells, and Byrne realizes with horror that it belongs to Jasper Thurston's awakened heart, despite Thurston being dead.

The chapter establishes Byrne as another supernatural character connected to the evil plaguing the region. His recognition of Jasper Thurston's presence suggests he has a history with the dark forces now stirring, and his struggle to remain civilized indicates he's fighting his own monstrous nature. The ominous ending, with the stars dimming and moonlight fading despite clear skies, signals that Jasper's influence is spreading and darkness is literally beginning to consume the land.

Chapter 7 Summary

Marshal Henry Russell and Oscar Shiese escort the three nuns - Sister Mabel, Sister Evelina, and Sister Genevieve - up into the treacherous trails of Black Mountain. Mabel initially provides vague directions, claiming to seek a cemetery deep in the mountain thickets. When Russell presses her for clearer guidance, she prays and claims that Jesus spoke to her, directing them to follow the western path where cedars are plentiful. Both Russell and Shiese find her mystical directions suspicious but have little choice but to follow them.

As they travel deeper into the mountain, following increasingly dangerous paths, the atmosphere grows ominous. The nuns begin feeling a supernatural coldness that seems to squeeze their souls rather than just chill their bodies. Mabel's internal thoughts reveal this journey's true purpose - they are heading to the burial site of Jasper Thurston, the former leader of the Coyotes whom she helped kill years ago. She bears hidden scars on her hands from that previous encounter and remembers the terror of facing him.

The group arrives at a grim cemetery surrounded by thorny briar, designed by the church as a sacred prison. The graveyard contains many small plots with crosses, all too short for adults - clearly the graves of children. All the crosses point toward one central plot that has no cross of its own. To Mabel's horror, they discover that Thurston's grave has been excavated, with his coffin split open and his withered corpse exposed.

Most devastating to Mabel is the discovery that a golden sphere - presumably Thurston's heart or some vital supernatural artifact - has been stolen from the grave. When Russell asks if she knew the dead man, Mabel tearfully confirms she knew him but insists "he is not a man." The chapter reveals that someone has already retrieved Thurston's supernatural essence, setting the stage for the dark powers to be unleashed upon the world. The cemetery of children's graves also hints at the horrific lengths the church went to in trying to contain Thurston's evil influence.

Chapter 8 Summary

Dr. Uriah Craven examines the mysterious heart that Vern sold him, fascinated by this dead organ that continues to pulse without a body. Under the influence of morphine to steady his hands, Craven studies the large, black heart with his medical instruments, noting its slow and irregular heartbeat that reminds him of Indian drums from his violent military service in Colorado. He dreams of using this scientific anomaly to achieve fame and secure a prestigious medical position in cities like St. Louis or Boston, planning to contact other doctors and scientists about his discovery.

Meanwhile, Marshal Russell returns to town with the nuns and takes them to the station house for questioning. The town of Hope's Hill lies under a pall of depression, with barren land and dying livestock fueling talk of curses among the superstitious residents. Russell demands answers about the cemetery and the excavated grave, particularly about the small burial plots they discovered.

Sister Mabel finally reveals the truth: the small graves contain seven children from an orphanage who died young and sickly. However, these children were not originally buried there - the church deliberately moved their bodies to the mountain cemetery to create holy ground that would seal in Jasper Thurston's evil. She explains that Thurston was the leader of the notorious Coyotes gang and was lynched in Hope's Hill fifteen years ago for his crimes against humanity and his alleged service to Lucifer.

The most chilling revelation comes when Mabel describes Thurston's supernatural nature. When the other dead Coyotes were burned in a great fire, Thurston's body would not burn, forcing them to bury him on Black Mountain surrounded by the innocent children's graves to contain his evil spirit. She mentions that twelve Coyotes died that night, but the "thirteenth coyote" escaped - though he actually helped them defeat Thurston in ways that no normal man could. The chapter establishes the full scope of the supernatural threat now that Thurston's grave has been robbed and his heart (the pulsing organ Craven possesses) has been separated from his corpse.

Chapter 9 Summary

This chapter presents one of the most horrific and disturbing sequences in the story, depicting the Coyotes' brutal attack on the Van Vracken family farm. Seventeen-year-old Delia Van Vracken is working alone in the tobacco fields as storm clouds gather, while her father lies sick with rheumatism and her mother cares for baby Leonard. Her older brothers have left for cattle drives, leaving the family vulnerable. Despite being an excellent shot and capable farm worker, Delia becomes suspicious when five strange riders approach requesting water.

The riders are led by Glen Amaroq (going by "Glenn" here) and include Hiram and three others. When the men's hostile intentions become clear through their predatory behavior and questions, Delia's mother appears with a rifle. However, this only confirms to the attackers that the women are alone and defenseless. Glen signals his men to attack with two tongue clicks, and the violence begins immediately.

The family attempts to defend themselves - the father shoots one Coyote from an upstairs window before being killed by Hiram, while Delia grabs an axe and manages to wound one of the brown-skinned attackers, noting he has sprouted fangs. However, Glen subdues her with his bullwhip, slashing her face and leg. The Coyotes overwhelm the family completely, brutally beating and torturing the mother.

The chapter reaches its most disturbing climax when Glen forces Delia to watch as he whips her mother to death, then compels her to cannibalize her mother's flesh under threat of death. The horror culminates when Hiram emerges from the house carrying baby Leonard upside down by the ankle, declaring they'll "eat good tonight." The chapter showcases the absolute evil and sadistic nature of the Coyotes, demonstrating their supernatural transformation (fangs, claws, fur) and their complete abandonment of humanity in favor of monstrous cannibalistic violence.

Chapter 10 Summary

This chapter reveals the critical backstory of Luther Byrne, who is actually the mysterious "thirteenth coyote" mentioned earlier. The chapter opens with Byrne consuming raw meat at a market to satisfy his wolfen nature, despite no longer being a full coyote. He reflects on his conflicted feelings about returning to Hope's Hill, a place he never wanted to see again, but recognizes that Jasper Thurston's awakening threatens to bring about Armageddon.

Through flashbacks, we learn Byrne's origin story. He was an orphan raised in Hope's Hill by the nuns, particularly Sister Mabel, who bled him and other children for their supernatural rituals. After stealing money and fleeing the orphanage, young Byrne turned to robbery and eventually joined Jasper Thurston's gang. Thurston branded him with the number 13, and Byrne became part of their cannibalistic pack, eating "son-of-a-gun stew" made from human organs. The chapter establishes that Thurston's gang members were supernaturally transformed, with elongated canines and the ability to shift between human and beast forms.

Meanwhile, in Hope's Hill, Marshal Russell visits Grace Cowland to inform her that the O'Connor farmhouse has burned down, though the children are safe at the orphanage. During questioning about the previous supernatural incident at the farm, Grace describes the "unholy blackness" that rose from beneath the floorboards - a force she believes is not from their world and has been unleashed upon the town like a plague. Her testimony reinforces the supernatural threat spreading through the region.

The chapter concludes with Dr. Craven departing by train with Thurston's heart in his medical bag, planning to travel east to meet with Professor Julius Mumm at the University of Pennsylvania. Craven hopes this supernatural specimen will secure his fame and fortune, unaware that he's potentially spreading the evil influence beyond the mountain region. The chapter sets up multiple converging storylines: Byrne returning to confront his past, the spreading supernatural plague affecting Hope's Hill, and Thurston's heart being transported away from the protective barriers that once contained it.

Chapter 11 Summary

Glen Amaroq senses that Thurston's black magic is on the move, having been taken by someone, though he cannot determine its exact course. The scent is rapidly disappearing, but Glen decides to follow it toward Black Mountain, the last known location where Jasper was seen before his death. Hiram suggests searching the mountain thoroughly and burning down any villages if necessary to find what they seek.

The coyotes reach a cave before midnight, following Glen's mystical compass bestowed by Mars. They discover a community of supernatural beings - the daughters of mainads - living in the cave with wolf pups. These pale, nude women with peach fur running along their spines are worshippers and allies to the coyotes. Glen is greeted by Theann, who calls him "Amaroq" and declares herself his. The men engage in ritualistic orgies with the mainads while Glen requests to be taken to Jessamine the Deathless.

Glen is led through a cave of bones and skulls to an underground chamber where he undergoes a ritual of drowning himself in brackish water. Emerging in a dead forest, he finds Jessamine in a house made of mudbrick. The deathless witch, wearing a dress made from children's skin, reveals that Jasper is not fully resurrected but his heart still beats. She tells Glen that the heart now travels in the hands of "a man of medicine" but warns that another coyote also seeks it - creating tension and potential conflict within their supernatural world.

Chapter 12 Summary

Luther Burn arrives at the decimated mining town of Onyx Banks, finding brutal carnage everywhere - bodies gunned down, butchered, and mutilated. The smelting house is on fire with corpses impaled on glass, limbs stacked like logs, and evidence of systematic torture and cannibalism. Black fur scattered throughout confirms his suspicions that Glen Amaroq's coyote pack was responsible for the massacre. Burn realizes his former companions are seeking Jasper's magic and are already ahead of him on the trail.

Fleeing the horror, Burn rides through the night across withered autumn countryside. At dawn, he encounters a peaceful camp of Shoshone and Bannock Indians. An old man and his daughter approach him, offering tobacco in exchange for cigars. The daughter translates her father's words, revealing they recognize Burn as a "skinwalker" of the Coyote people. The old man explains there are good Coyotes who taught their people useful skills, but also evil trickster Coyotes ridden by Satan. After determining Burn is of the peaceful variety, they allow him to pass.

Burn arrives in Hope's Hill at noon, returning to his childhood home where he was raised at the orphanage after being taken from his alcoholic mother and her wolfhound. The memories are painful - his birth mother's descent into blindness from drinking, his feral upbringing by the dog, and the harsh "holy water" punishments from Sister Mabel. At the chapel, he reunites with Sister Mabel, who had been expecting his return. She reveals that Jasper Thurston's grave has been robbed, but insists no coyote could have done it due to the purified holy ground. Meanwhile, undertaker Vern Pipkin tries to sell a golden capsule to shopkeeper Cassius Neck, claiming it's an antique but clearly nervous about its true origins. When Burn confronts them, he discovers Dr. Uriah Craven has taken the heart and left town by train, heading east to what appears to be the University of Pennsylvania.

Chapter 13 Summary

Marshal Henry Russell and Deputy Jake Dover confront Luther Burn outside Dr. Craven's office after receiving reports of his break-in from nervous shopkeeper Cassius Neck. The tense standoff is complicated by Burn's refusal to disarm, claiming he doesn't have time for jail. When Burn appears ready to run, Sister Mabel arrives dramatically with other nuns and Reverend Blackwell, pleading with Russell to listen. She reveals that Burn is Luther Burn, the boy she raised, and warns that the coyotes are returning to finish what their leader Jasper Thurston started years ago.

Despite Russell's skepticism about supernatural elements, Sister Mabel insists that worse storms are coming - not just weather, but a legion of wolfmen seeking revenge. She identifies Burn as "the thirteenth coyote" and explains his complicated past with the gang. In the marshal's office, they reveal that Burn deserted the coyotes and fought against Jasper Thurston, though they omit the more fantastical details. The group explains they need Dr. Craven and Thurston's heart returned to Hope's Hill so it can be properly buried again.

Meanwhile, Dr. Craven suffers from a mysterious illness aboard the eastbound train, with black vomit and stool, growing increasingly concerned about the beating heart in his satchel. Russell telegraphs ahead to Battle Creek Station to intercept Craven. As the train approaches the station, Craven spots riders in the moonlight heading toward them - Glen Amaroq's coyote pack has found their trail. The supernatural outlaws attack the train with inhuman strength and claws, massacring passengers and crew. Despite bullets finding their marks, the coyotes seem nearly invulnerable. Glen confronts Craven directly, demanding the heart that belongs to him, as the railcar becomes a charnel house of blood and terror.

Chapter 14 Summary

After visiting the local brothel and sleeping with a prostitute named Veva, Luther Burn encounters Grace Cowland, the schoolmarm, at Abercrombie's boarding house where they're both staying. Their polite late-night conversation reveals Grace's insomnia due to the town's troubles, while Burn contemplates what might have been in another life - courtship, marriage, and a normal existence he believes is beyond his capabilities. His brief rest is interrupted by Marshal Russell, who brings devastating news: the train carrying Dr. Craven never arrived, having been attacked by the coyotes.

The lawmen and Burn ride out to find the derailed locomotive and passenger cars scattered like "a great mechanical worm." The scene is one of utter carnage - charred bodies trapped in overturned cars, pulverized skulls with horseshoe prints, severed heads, and evidence of the coyotes' supernatural strength and brutality. An infant has been torn in half and burned, while an expressman lies with his arm missing and chest shredded. Survivors confirm that five men, described as "more animal than man" and "werewolves," boarded the train and systematically slaughtered passengers.

Russell, finally beginning to believe in the supernatural threat, realizes the coyotes have obtained what they wanted and will likely return to Hope's Hill for revenge. He enlists Burn's help in predicting their next moves and begins planning the town's defense. Meanwhile, Oscar Shise demonstrates his marksmanship skills at the Baudin County Fair, winning a turkey-shooting contest while on horseback. However, his day takes a moral turn when he confronts the operators of a freak show exploiting a two-headed woman and a blind, hairy mongoloid boy. Using his imposing presence and past as a freed slave, Shise forces the show operators to release the victims, planning to take them to the nuns at Hope's Hill for proper care and medical attention.

Chapter 15 Summary

Glen Amaroq sits shirtless on a mountain passage, holding Jasper's heart as it pulses and bleeds black ichor into his hands. The supernatural blood enters his veins, causing his eyes to go completely black and blind, transporting him into a psychedelic vision realm. He witnesses floating corpses marked with red pentagrams - his own victims from years of murder and cannibalism. The vision leads him through a pathway of broken bodies to a towering crimson monolith resembling Mars, with steps made of children's skulls leading upward.

When Glen bites into Jasper's heart, drinking the ichor, he hears his old pack leader's voice commanding "Sacrifice." The vision transforms, taking him back to his childhood village during a devastating drought. Young Glen witnesses the arrival of two albino prophets, Timat and Thorn, who claim to be sons of the Incan god Viracocha. They promise gold and silver in exchange for worship, leading the desperate villagers into increasingly depraved rituals including orgies and human sacrifice.

The prophets introduce Lady Kia, a beautiful goddess of the moon with raven hair and black eyes who demands ever more extreme devotion from the villagers. When Glen's parents attempt to flee the escalating horror, young Glen betrays them, striking his mother with a rock and leading to their capture. As the first rain in a hundred years begins to fall, Glen is celebrated by the villagers and given a whip by Thorn to beat his own parents to death in the rain. This childhood memory of patricide and matricide, followed by cannibalism of his parents' flesh, reveals the origin of Glen's evil and connects to Jasper's message about sacrifice. Glen awakens from the vision understanding that massive sacrifice will be required to unlock the heart's full power, and he notices the chained Dr. Craven still deteriorating beside their campfire.

Chapter 16 Summary

Marshal Russell discovers that Oscar Shise, his first choice for deputizing against the coyotes, is away on a cattle drive and won't return for two days - potentially too late. Deputy Dover suggests other potential recruits including Cillian O'Connor from the troubled farm, Cassius Neck from the general store, and Big Chuck Brazo, a former Confederate soldier living in the valley. Luther Burn reveals he knows Brazo by multiple aliases and describes him as a formidable but strange fighter who could "take down a moose with bare hands."

The trio rides to Brazo's settlement in the valley basin, finding a collection of adobe houses resembling Spanish forts where Brazo lives among Kiowa Indians. The massive, grizzled Brazo emerges hostile toward Burn over unpaid debts, but when Russell explains the approaching coyote threat, Brazo's attitude shifts. Understanding the supernatural danger these "devils" represent, he agrees to help fight them, explaining that to battle devils requires harnessing power of their own beyond normal human capabilities.

Brazo leads them to a tepee where they meet Setamika, a Kiowa shaman and bear shapeshifter who performs a blessing ritual with rattles and fire. The ceremony culminates in rain that Setamika claims is nature speaking to them. The Indian explains the difference between coyote shapeshifters - some are benevolent "skinwalkers" who help humans, while others like Glen's pack have absorbed dark magic into their very skin. As proof of the supernatural realm, Setamika reveals his own bear nature with yellow eyes, while Burn shows his coyote features with elongated canines and red eyes. Russell finally accepts the reality of the supernatural threat, and each man receives a beaded choker necklace to wear "when most needed." The growing posse now includes Russell, his deputies, Burn, and the formidable Brazo, blessed by Kiowa magic for the coming battle.

Chapter 17 Summary

A red-headed girl named Delia Van Draken arrives in Hope's Hill on a worn pony, scarred across her face with one milky eye and bleeding from a fresh neck wound. Grace Cowland, the schoolmarm, approaches the armed young traveler and offers help, providing water and medical care. Delia reveals she's traveled three hundred miles from Cottonwood near Steel Branch, looking for "some people" with obvious anger burning behind her hardened gaze. Grace generously provides her with money for a bath and meal, along with skillful stitching for her wound.

In her room at the boarding house, Delia reflects on her traumatic journey and mission of revenge. Her family was brutally murdered by Glen Amaroq's coyote gang, who forced her to watch as they cooked and ate her infant brother alive, then made her consume human flesh to survive. Glen had cut off her pigtails as trophies and engaged her in philosophical debates about the nature of evil, procreation, and morality. He argued that human procreation is inherently cruel since it brings conscious beings into a world of suffering and death, while werewolf children are stronger and suffer less.

The encounter ended with Glen sparing Delia's life after she vowed to hunt him down and kill him, seeing potential in her "cold and mean" nature. The youngest coyote, Dylan, was prevented from raping her by Glen's orders, though he spat on her scarred face in frustration. Left alone in the devastation with only her mother's rifle, Delia gathered what belongings survived the fire and set out on her quest for vengeance. Now in Hope's Hill, she visits the sheriff's station asking about the wolf-like men she seeks, where she encounters Luther Burn and immediately senses his coyote nature through his smell and appearance, though he denies being part of the gang that destroyed her family.

Chapter 18 Summary

The posse participates in Setamika's blessing ritual in the warm tepee, where the Kiowa shaman shakes rattles through smoke and performs a sacred sing. While the lawmen feel uncomfortable, Burn and Brazo understand the necessity of spiritual power to combat supernatural evil. The fire responds to Setamika's wizardry, and his feminine voice creates an intense crescendo that culminates in thunderclap and rain. Setamika declares that "nature has something to say" and explains that true power moves in circles, emphasizing that fighting something beyond human requires power beyond human capabilities.

Chuck Brazo questions Burn about recent killings, and Burn claims none "worth mentioning," though his evasive response suggests ongoing violence. Brazo warns that while Burn may have left the coyotes, he remains "mean as the devil's nutsack," but acknowledges his own past sins fighting in Mexico. After receiving their blessed choker necklaces with blue and black beads, the men return to town where they encounter Delia Van Draken at the station house with Deputy Hustley.

Delia immediately confronts Burn about his coyote nature, detecting his wet dog smell and tough whiskers. When Burn admits to being wolfen but denies running with evil packs, she reveals her tragic story - the Van Draken family massacre at Cottonwood by Glen Amaroq's gang. Burn confirms the coyotes are indeed coming to Hope's Hill, exciting rather than frightening Delia, who sees this as her chance for revenge. Marshal Russell, growing increasingly worried about the supernatural threat, takes his supper alone at the local café, reflecting on his own mortality, loneliness since his wife Caldonia's death twenty years ago, and his inability to love again. He encounters Grace Cowland knitting on the boarding house porch and they share a pleasant conversation about her guest Delia and the mysterious Luther Burn, with Grace asking Russell to help keep the vengeful girl out of trouble.

Chapter 19 Summary

In a Blue Valley saloon, the coyotes terrorize patrons while Hiram Zandler waits in the back room. Thad shoots three men who try to intervene, killing them with head shots, while Glen and Dylan force saloon girls to dance. Webb and Thad bring Hiram a captured twelve-year-old boy named Willard as a "delight," and Hiram pretends to rescue the child from their abuse, gaining the boy's trust by comforting him and learning his father was gut-shot during the kidnapping.

Hiram's rescue act is revealed as elaborate psychological torture when he betrays the trusting boy, telling him "nothing's going to be all right" before torturing him with a hunting knife. He keeps Willard alive but permanently maimed and traumatized rather than killing him, believing that inflicting lasting psychological trauma is sweeter than death. Hiram tells Webb about his inspiration: Gilles de Rais, the Marshal of France who fought alongside Joan of Arc but turned to devil worship and child murder after her execution.

Glen listens as Hiram recounts how Gilles tortured, sodomized, and killed a thousand boys in increasingly elaborate rituals, even holding beauty contests with decapitated heads dressed in rouge. When the mad Dr. Craven disputes the story, claiming Gilles was framed by church conspiracy, Hiram becomes enraged. Glen reveals his vision from Jasper's heart demanding massive sacrifice to unlock the full power - not just individual murders but wholesale slaughter beyond anything the territory has seen before.

The coyotes leave the saloon and engage local law enforcement in a brief but deadly shootout, killing three peace officers and their horses in thirty seconds. They then unleash total destruction on Blue Valley, burning buildings, dragging children behind horses, and committing unspeakable atrocities including raping an old woman with a rifle barrel and eating a little girl alive. By dawn, they gather their prisoners - Dr. Craven, saloon girls, and the broken Willard - and prepare to leave the devastated town as nothing but rubble.

Chapter 20 Summary

In the underground church beneath Hope's Hill, Sister Mabel shows Luther Burn the towering Christ statue that was once flushed with his childhood blood during the orphanage's brutal rituals. She apologizes for the suffering inflicted on him and other children, explaining it was necessary to keep evil at bay using "innocent blood." Burn challenges her interpretation of scripture, particularly questioning her authority to speak for God. Sister Mabel reveals that women of the cloth are "brides of Christ" and "mothers of lost children," making them uniquely capable of containing dark forces and resisting temptation.

She explains that the simple chapel above wasn't sufficient to contain the most powerful darkness after Jasper's attack years ago, necessitating the construction of this more sacred underground sanctuary. When Burn questions whether they've "caught the devil," Mabel clarifies they've captured the cosmic darkness that Lucifer draws upon - not in its entirety, but in parts to diminish its use by those seeking to open portals to hell. This force infects all wolfen, drawing them like moths to flame, though Burn has proven stronger by fighting against it since leaving the coyotes.

Sister Mabel leads Burn to the altar where Christ's statue contains hidden locks opened by her crucifix key. Inside, behind stained glass, lies the Menhir - a rectangular artifact that resembles a smooth stone but gleams like a jewel with swirling red fog. This segment of a greater dimensional monolith is kept awash in the orphans' blood to prevent its misuse. The Menhir's presence causes Burn's wolfen nature to surge - his hands shake, fangs sprout, and eyes glaze as he fights the overwhelming temptation. Understanding now why Jasper came to Hope's Hill, Burn demands to be taken away from the artifact, warning he might kill even Sister Mabel if forced to stay near it.

Meanwhile, Marshal Russell attempts to recruit Oscar Shise for his posse but discovers the man is away on a cattle drive. Russell meets Shise's pregnant Choctaw wife Nizoni and their young son Tohssan at their modest ranch home. Nizoni, aware of the supernatural threat through the Kiowa community, questions whether Russell should ask an expecting father to risk his life fighting "wolf men and bad spirits." Russell, recognizing the moral complexity and danger of his request, ultimately decides against recruiting Shise, acknowledging that children need their father more than the town needs another gun. Nizoni, despite her distrust of white men, recognizes Russell's kindness and strength in his restraint.

Chapter 21 Summary

Burns returns to Hope's Hill, haunted by his past and the darkness within him. He struggles with alcohol in the Rusty Nail saloon, fighting the urge to let his werewolf nature loose. The chapter reveals through flashback how Burns came to be part of Jasper's Coyotes gang fifteen years ago.

Jasper had led Burns, Corbin, Leroy, and Oki on a quest to find a mysterious magical force calling to him from Black Mountain. During their search, Jasper killed the dissenting Oki and grew increasingly unstable. The pack eventually raided a small village, committing horrific atrocities as they sought to strengthen their connection to the dark power through human sacrifice.

The quest led them to Hope's Hill, where Jasper sensed the source of the magical power was located in the chapel. Inside, they discovered nuns who had fallen under the menhir's evil influence, engaged in blasphemous acts. Burns ultimately turned against his pack brothers when Jasper threatened to burn down the orphanage with children inside. In the ensuing battle, Burns killed Jasper with an iron crucifix, then fought and killed Leroy to protect Sister Mabel and the town. The chapter ends with Burns warning the survivors to bury the evil menhir deep in blessed ground before departing Hope's Hill forever.

This pivotal flashback reveals how Burns first encountered the menhir's power and chose redemption over evil, setting up his current role as protector of the town against Glen's returning Coyotes.

Chapter 22 Summary

Oscar Schei contemplates joining Marshal Russell's posse while drinking at the Rusty Nail saloon. Despite his pregnant wife Nizoni's objections, he feels duty-bound to help protect the town from the approaching evil. Russell appears and the two men discuss the supernatural threat, with Schei offering his services despite the risks to his growing family.

Meanwhile, grave robber Vern Pipkin ventures back to Black Mountain to continue his illicit work, despite rumors circulating about his activities. He encounters the remaining Coyotes at the hidden cemetery where Jasper Thurston was buried. The Coyotes, led by Glen Amarok, have been searching for Jasper's heart, which Vern had unknowingly stolen along with the golden capsule containing it.

The chapter reveals through Vern's interrogation that he had accidentally dropped the heart at the O'Connor farm while transporting it, causing the mysterious blight that destroyed the family. Under torture, Vern admits to selling the capsule and is brutally killed by the Coyotes, who use him to track down their prize.

The chapter ends with the Coyotes, now including the reanimated corpses of Dr. Craven and Vern Pipkin, making their way down Black Mountain toward Hope's Hill, led by Glen Amarok who carries Jasper's heart and seeks the golden capsule that once contained it.

Chapter 23 Summary

Delia Van Vracken suffers from nightmares about the Coyote attack that killed her family, particularly haunted by her inability to save baby Leonard. She finds solace with schoolteacher Grace Cowlin but remains determined to seek vengeance. On the porch with Luther Burns, she learns about the werewolf curse and how one becomes wolfen - through blood drinking, being bitten, or having an inherently violent nature that makes them susceptible.

Burns explains his own transformation as a young man who joined the pack out of anger and pain, warning Delia that those with fury in their hearts are most likely to become werewolves themselves. Despite his warnings about the dangers ahead, Delia vows to join the posse and hunt down the Coyotes who destroyed her family.

The chapter also provides Glen Amarok's backstory, revealing his traumatic childhood in a cult led by the false goddess Lady Kea (actually a prostitute named Guadalupe Sanchez). After the cult was raided by cavalry, Glen was taken in by Thorne (Peter Sherwood), one of the cult's con-men founders, and lived on his grandfather's plantation where Glen learned cruelty by abusing slaves.

When marshals eventually caught up with the cult members, Glen discovered the truth about Lady Kea's deception and Thorne's lies. This betrayal by authority figures and false religious figures shaped Glen's hatred for law enforcement and his embrace of evil as his true nature, setting him on the path to becoming the Thirteenth Coyote.

Chapter 24 Summary

The posse prepares for the Coyotes' arrival as Burns senses their approach down Black Mountain. Marshal Russell realizes they have only hours before the attack and scrambles to organize the town's defense. The group includes Burns, Russell, deputies Jake Dover and Norton Husley, Oscar Schei, and surprisingly, Delia Van Vracken, who proves her exceptional marksmanship skills to earn a place as their sniper.

Big Chuck Brazo arrives with a mountain howitzer cannon and war experience, while Kiowa medicine man Setamika joins with protective beaded necklaces and spiritual weapons. The group arms themselves heavily, including rifles, pistols, tomahawks, and even dynamite, preparing for supernatural warfare rather than a typical gunfight.

Meanwhile, Burns encounters Reverend Blackwell at the chapel, where Sister Mabel and others continue their vigil containing the menhir's evil influence underground. Blackwell reveals the ancient history of the menhir - fragments of monolithic stones dating back to Cain's murder of Abel, scattered across the world by apostles to prevent their collective power from ending the universe. He explains how these artifacts of evil have influenced history through the Crusades and holy wars.

The chapter builds tension as storm clouds and ravens gather above the town, supernatural omens of the approaching Coyotes. The defenders split between an ambush position on the mountain trail and protection within the town itself, with Delia positioned as a rooftop sniper at the marshal's station. The stage is set for an epic confrontation between the forces of law and the supernatural evil of the Coyote gang.

Chapter 25 Summary

The Coyotes descend Black Mountain in a macabre procession, led by Glen Amarok who carries Jasper's throbbing heart and senses the presence of another Coyote in Hope's Hill. Glen realizes that one of Jasper's original pack members - likely Luther Burns, Leroy, or Corbin - survived their leader's final stand fifteen years ago and has now turned against them.

Hiram questions how this is possible, and Glen speculates that the survivor may have been imprisoned or wounded, eventually choosing to abandon the Coyote brotherhood. Using Jasper's heart as a guide, Glen leads the pack on a longer, more treacherous route to avoid the ambush he knows awaits them on the main trail into town. The heart's power has enhanced Glen's abilities and cloaked their approach from detection.

The Coyotes bring with them a horrific collection of bound victims, including saloon girls used as human shields and the reanimated corpses of Dr. Craven and Vern Pipkin. They feed on their captives during the journey, with Hiram consuming pieces of an unborn fetus while Webb carries the limbless undertaker like a grotesque medallion.

As they approach Hope's Hill from the back end of town, they encounter Oscar Schei's homestead where his young son Tahasim spots the approaching horror and runs to warn his family. The chapter ends with the ominous arrival of this cavalcade of monsters and enslaved victims, setting up the inevitable confrontation as Glen seeks both the golden capsule and revenge against his former Coyote brother who dared to betray the pack.

Chapter 26 Summary

The posse waits in ambush position for far longer than expected, with Burns losing the ability to sense the Coyotes' approach due to Jasper's heart cloaking their presence. Marshal Russell grows frustrated and decides to return to town with some of the men, leaving Brazo with his howitzer and a few others to maintain the ambush position.

In Hope's Hill, Delia Van Vracken spots the Coyotes approaching from her sniper position atop the marshal's station. She watches in horror as the five riders enter town using bound victims as human shields, including saloon girls and the quadruple amputee Vern Pipkin worn by Webb like armor. Delia recognizes several of the Coyotes from the attack on her family, particularly Hiram eating an unborn fetus and Glen with her hair woven into his bridle.

Though Delia has a clear shot at several Coyotes, she hesitates to fire, knowing that killing one would alert the others and likely result in her own death. The Coyotes begin terrorizing the town, shooting horses at the saloon and killing anyone who opposes them. When a shopkeeper fires at them, Glen quickly kills him, demonstrating that the town's minimal resistance poses little threat to the supernatural outlaws.

The chapter reveals that Glen's goal is to find the golden capsule that once contained Jasper's heart, believing it to be the powerful amulet they've been seeking. Using the undead Dr. Craven as a guide, Glen leads his gang toward the funeral parlor while the scattered posse members realize they've been outmaneuvered and must converge on the town center for a desperate defense.

Chapter 27 Summary

Marshal Russell and Deputy Husley take position behind freight crates across from the funeral parlor and call for the Coyotes to surrender. Glen mocks the lawman's authority, knowing the townspeople would never give his gang a fair trial after their atrocities. The standoff erupts into violence when Delia shoots Dylan from her rooftop position, killing him instantly and unleashing a brutal firefight.

The Coyotes, still mounted and using human shields, unleash devastating firepower that destroys the lawmen's barricade. Deputy Husley is killed when Glen shoots him through the face with his rifle, and Russell barely survives behind the dwindling cover. The supernatural nature of the Coyotes becomes apparent as they shake off wounds that would kill normal men.

Setamika arrives at the crucial moment, killing Dylan with an atlatl spear and scalping him before joining Russell behind rain barrels. Together they manage to wound Webb and free some of the human captives, but the battle turns against them as more Coyotes join the fight. Russell shoots Glen multiple times, including in the neck, but the pack leader's wounds heal rapidly thanks to Jasper's heart.

The chapter culminates with Glen and Hiram converging on the marshal's station where Burns waits in ambush, knowing his former Coyote brother would come. Meanwhile, the undead Dr. Craven is killed again by Setamika's arrow, and Thad transforms into a werewolf to free himself from his dead horse. The supernatural battle escalates as ordinary law enforcement proves inadequate against the Coyotes' otherworldly powers.

Chapter 28 Summary

Hearing the gunfire, Oscar Schei and Deputy Dover abandon their ambush position to ride to the town's aid, leaving Brazo with his howitzer. Inside the marshal's station, Burns confronts Glen in a dramatic reunion between former Coyote brothers. Glen expresses shock at finding Burns alive after fifteen years, while Burns explains his transformation from gang member to protector.

Their confrontation reveals the depth of their shared history - Glen recruited Burns into the pack personally and taught him to be wolfen. Burns explains that he gained control over his lycanthropy and chose to leave the brotherhood behind, while Glen accuses him of betraying their pack and murdering Jasper. Burns admits to killing their former leader to prevent him from unleashing the menhir's power upon the world.

The conversation is interrupted when Thad crashes through a window in full werewolf form, leading to a violent three-way battle. Burns and Glen both begin transforming as their beast natures take over, while Thad attacks in his wounded werewolf state. Outside, the larger battle continues with Russell and Setamika fighting desperately against Hiram's rifle fire.

Meanwhile, on the station rooftop, Delia faces Thad in his monstrous werewolf form. Despite emptying her pistol into the creature, she's overpowered and nearly thrown from the building. The chapter showcases the brutal reality of fighting supernatural enemies as normal weapons prove barely effective against the Coyotes' inhuman resilience and healing abilities. The stage is set for the climactic confrontations as former brothers prepare to settle their fifteen-year-old blood debt.

Chapter 29 Summary

Webb Tipton, wounded and weary, takes shelter in the funeral parlor with the golden capsule and the reanimated Vern Pipkin. Exhausted from years of riding with the Coyotes and suffering from multiple gunshot and arrow wounds, Webb questions why he continues following Glen's leadership. He considers abandoning the gang and escaping Hope's Hill, feeling that the pursuit of the capsule isn't worth the constant violence and pain.

At fifty years old, Webb realizes he's not healing as quickly as the younger Coyotes and that his werewolf nature isn't granting him the immortality he once hoped for. The weight of age and accumulated injuries makes him reconsider his loyalty to the pack. He attempts to get information about escape routes from the barely coherent Vern Pipkin, who oscillates between madness and lucidity.

The chapter provides a brief respite from the intense action, offering insight into the toll that the supernatural outlaw lifestyle takes on even the Coyotes themselves. Webb's fatigue and disillusionment reflect the broader theme of aging and mortality that haunts even those who have embraced supernatural power. His contemplation of desertion shows that even among the most evil characters, self-preservation instincts can override loyalty when the cost becomes too high.

Despite his wounds and doubts, Webb ultimately decides to retrieve Jasper's corpse from the abandoned cart and attempt to escape Hope's Hill with both the golden capsule and their former leader's remains, suggesting that some bonds of brotherhood still hold even when faith in the current leadership wavers.

Chapter 30 Summary

Marshal Russell's rifle fails him at a crucial moment when he has a clear shot at Glen, forcing him to make a desperate decision. Following Setamika's dying instructions, Russell places Dylan's bloody scalp on his head like a grotesque wig, temporarily gaining wolfen powers through the Kiowa skinwalker magic. Armed with Setamika's jawbone club, Russell attacks Glen from behind, gaining supernatural strength and wolf-like abilities.

The battle between Russell and Glen becomes a clash of beasts as both men transform. Russell initially gains the upper hand with his borrowed power, savagely beating Glen with the elk jawbone club until it breaks. However, Glen proves more cunning than Russell anticipated, using his black sand sorcery to blind and paralyze the marshal after Russell hesitates to deliver a killing blow out of his sense of law and order.

As Glen prepares to torture and kill the helpless Russell, Oscar Schei and Deputy Dover arrive just in time. Schei shoots Glen in the chest with his Whitworth rifle, but the wounded Coyote leader manages to summon his supernatural horse Belial and escape with Hiram. The pursuit becomes a nightmare as Glen's sorcery manifests as black snow that poisons both Schei and Dover, leaving them vomiting and paralyzed on the mountainside.

The chapter ends with Glen and at least one other Coyote escaping into the blizzard, while the defenders of Hope's Hill pay a terrible price for their victory. Setamika is dead, Russell is badly injured and poisoned, and the supernatural threat is far from over, suggesting that this battle was merely one engagement in a larger war between good and evil.

Chapter 31 Summary:

In the aftermath of the fierce battle, Delia rushes to aid her fallen posse members. She finds Bern severely wounded and presumably dead, while Marshal Russell is poisoned but still alive. Using a beaded necklace taken from the Kiowa shaman, Delia miraculously heals Russell's poisoning with its ghostly blue radiance. They transport the badly injured Bern to the station house, where Grace Cowland reluctantly agrees to provide medical aid despite having witnessed the men's supernatural transformations.

Grace tends to Bern's extensive wounds, including a compound fracture of his leg that may require amputation. She stitches his wounds and sets his broken bone with makeshift splints. Meanwhile, Russell, despite his own injuries and residual effects from the poison, feels compelled to pursue the remaining coyotes who have fled with his deputies Oscar and Jake still in pursuit. Grace admits her feelings for Russell have intensified even after witnessing his werewolf transformation, and he asks her to call him Henry.

The chapter shifts to Glen Amaroq and his surviving coyote Hiram fleeing through the snowy landscape. They encounter a mysterious old man with a howitzer who ambushes them, killing Thad in a devastating explosion. The madman continues his artillery assault, forcing Glen and Hiram to escape over a bluff. Severely wounded and with their numbers decimated to just two men and one horse, Glen realizes they need shelter and plans to regroup at an abandoned farmhouse, vowing that their mission is far from over.

Chapter 32 Summary:

Russell and Brazo return to town with the poisoned deputies Shys and Dover in carts. Dover remains unconscious with jaundiced eyes, while Shys begins to regain consciousness. The posse has suffered heavy losses with Sedamika dead, leaving Brazo devastated and dreading having to inform his tribe. Grace tends to Russell's wounds in a private washroom, where their mutual attraction becomes evident. She confesses to witnessing his werewolf transformation, which he explains was a temporary spell from the Kiowa shaman to save his life.

Russell faces the harsh reality that the town now fears him after many witnessed his transformation. He arranges for Dover's care at the boarding house while dealing with suspicious looks from residents. After bringing Bern to his own small home, Russell visits the chapel where Sister Mabel has been protecting townspeople in the underground church. She explains how she and the other nuns used child blood to weaken the supernatural presence and make it harder for the coyotes to detect their location.

The chapter reveals Sister Mabel's tragic backstory - she has endured tremendous personal loss including the death of her entire family, illness, and decades of suffering while serving as guardian of a sinister talisman. Despite being over fifty years old, the artifact's power has kept her appearing nineteen. Her isolation and the burden of protecting the men here (the mysterious talisman) while bleeding orphaned children to contain its power has left her questioning her faith and purpose, though she remains devoted to her duty.

Chapter 33 Summary:

This brief but devastating chapter focuses entirely on Oscar Shys discovering the horrific fate of his family. Arriving at his homestead, Shys finds his young son Tahasen's mutilated body draped over the henhouse, his face partially torn from his skull. Overwhelmed with grief, Shys carries his son's body while searching desperately for his pregnant wife Nizoni.

Inside their home, Shys discovers an even more horrifying scene. His beloved wife has been brutally murdered - eviscerated with her unborn child removed, decapitated with her skull placed on the supper table as a grotesque centerpiece. Her eyes have been scooped out, her lips chewed off, and strips of flesh methodically peeled from her body, indicating this was the deliberate work of Glen Amaroq's cannibalistic coyotes rather than a wild animal attack.

The discovery completely destroys Shys mentally and emotionally. He collapses against the wall, sobbing and dry heaving as the full horror of his family's fate overwhelms him. The chapter ends with him described as "a man broken and on fire, changed forever" - his transformation from a devoted family man into someone consumed by the need for vengeance now complete. This brutal scene demonstrates the depths of evil the coyotes are capable of and sets up Shys' motivation for the final confrontations to come.

Chapter 34 Summary:

Russell brings Sister Mabel to see the dying Bern, hoping her rumored knowledge of white magic might save him. Though Mabel initially claims she doesn't possess healing power, Russell convinces her that if evil magic exists, good magic must balance it out. He shares his newfound belief in the supernatural after experiencing it firsthand with the Kiowa shaman. Together, they pray over Bern's unconscious form, and Sister Mabel places her rosary around his neck alongside the Kiowa necklace, kissing his wounds and whispering Latin prayers.

During their walk back to town through the bitter December night, Russell and Mabel discuss strategy for the inevitable return of the coyotes. Russell plans to contact Murphy Hires and the council for more deputies and possibly cavalry support, while Mabel explains that moving the men here (the mysterious talisman) would only lead the coyotes directly to it. They agree that surrounding the chapel with guards would also reveal the talisman's location to their enemies.

Meanwhile, Delia awakens with an insatiable hunger despite having eaten heavily earlier. She discovers alarming physical changes - longer fingernails, darker body hair, coarse calluses on her palms, and increased sensitivity to moonlight that triggers violent shaking. She devours leftover meat from dinner, realizing she's been infected by werewolf blood that splattered on her during the battle. The chapter also follows Old Webb as he struggles with the dying undertaker Verne Pipkins up a snowy trail, eventually reaching the abandoned O'Connor farm where they discover Glenn and Hiram have taken shelter in the barn. Webb presents Glenn with the stolen golden capsule, earning his leader's approval and saving his own life.

Chapter 35 Summary:

Bern awakens in darkness in Russell's house, initially fearing he's been captured by the coyotes. Russell tends to him with laudanum for pain management and explains they had to set his badly broken leg, which may still require amputation if it doesn't heal properly due to his werewolf regenerative abilities. Bern recalls being saved during the battle by another shapeshifter, learning it was Russell temporarily transformed using a Kiowa scalp as a "dinged hat." Despite his injuries, Bern expresses gratitude and pledges to help Russell understand Glen's motivations and plans.

Russell ventures into town in his best suit, hoping to maintain his human appearance and authority despite witnesses to his transformation. At the boarding house, landlady Joyce Abercrombie refuses him entry, calling him a creature and citing religious objections. Russell cleverly convinces her that what she saw was a devilish illusion meant to frame good men, suggesting she consult Sister Mabel and Reverend Blackwell for confirmation. In Dover's room, Russell finds the young deputy dying from the poison's effects, aged rapidly into a skeletal, cataractic old man who speaks of wanting to see heaven and his deceased mother.

Dover dies peacefully while reminiscing about his dog Bandit, and Russell then confronts Murphy Hires at town hall. Hires blames Russell for turning the town into a battleground and reveals that sixteen people are dead, with many residents already fleeing. Hires declares the town finished and plans to abandon it, but Russell defiantly states he will remain as marshal to protect those who choose to stay, even as Hires warns him there's "no hope left in Hopeshill."

Chapter 36 Summary:

Glen's surviving coyotes encounter a lone traveler whom Hiram kills without hesitation, stealing his horse and supplies including moonshine. As they ascend Black Mountain through the harsh winter landscape, Glen reflects on their devastating losses - down to just two men and one horse. At the O'Connor farm ruins, Glen had sensed dark supernatural energy and collected human bones from the cursed ground, believing they contain powerful "juju" that might prove useful.

The coyotes reach the deadening, the supernatural realm atop the mountain where the mainads dwell. The exotic she-creatures welcome them into the caves to heal their wounds through sexual nursing. Theann, their leader, tends to Glen while other mainads minister to Webb and Hiram. However, after Glen is fully healed and rejuvenated, he brutally murders Theann as a sacrifice to demonstrate his devotion to the satanic forces that grant him power, crushing her throat and drinking her blood.

Glen then ventures deeper into the mystical realm, passing through an obsidian pool into a dead forest where ravens gather. He reaches the adobe house of Jessamine the Deathless, a grotesque witch whose body emanates supernatural light and who wears a dress made of tanned children's faces. When Glen presents Jasper's corpse to her, she uses dark magic to resurrect the long-dead sorcerer by straddling his remains and placing his pulsing heart back in his ribcage. Through necromantic intercourse, she brings Jasper back as a mindless but animated corpse, creating a powerful tool to help Glen locate the mystical talisman he seeks.

Chapter 37 Summary:

Hope's Hill loses half its population within twenty-four hours as terrified families flee despite the dangerous winter conditions. Russell watches wagon after wagon of deserters leave while meeting with Brazo, who brings news that his Kiowa people demand vengeance for Sedamika's death. Brazo reveals he has assembled a formidable force of seven warriors - five men and two women who are skinwalkers capable of transforming into werebears. This supernatural reinforcement gives Russell hope as they prepare for the inevitable return of Glen's coyotes.

Grace Cowland contemplates whether to stay or flee with the other townspeople. Though she fears for her safety, she decides to remain to help any students who stay and to assist Russell, especially if Bern's leg amputation becomes necessary. She reflects on her future prospects, wondering about marriage and motherhood while watching the exodus from town. The chapter emphasizes her internal conflict between self-preservation and loyalty to those depending on her.

The brief chapter establishes the stakes for the final confrontation - a nearly abandoned town defended by Russell's small but supernaturally enhanced posse against Glen's returning coyote gang. The presence of the werebear skinwalkers promises an epic supernatural battle between different types of shapeshifters, while Grace's decision to stay demonstrates her character growth from a passive observer to an active participant in the town's defense.

Chapter 38 Summary:

The resurrected Jasper Thurston sits upright in the cart as Glen and his coyotes descend the mountain, though he remains blind, deaf, and mute. Jessamine had explained that while Jasper's body retains some of his former magical abilities to identify the talisman they seek, it will lead them to a portal - a gateway to the darkest dimension where Glen's destined throne of hell awaits. She gave Glen a sealed jute sack with an inverted star seal containing mysterious magical components.

Meanwhile, Bern undergoes physical therapy with Russell's help, aided by Grace and visited by Delia who brings flowers. Despite needing increasing amounts of laudanum, Bern senses the approaching coyotes like a tsunami and warns that Glen will have sought healing from the mainads and return with renewed ferocity. Russell plans to recruit Oscar Shys despite concerns about his mental state after losing his family.

The coyotes encounter Barley Reinhold, a former Hope's Hill resident traveling alone after being exiled for kidnapping Grace (whom he believed was a witch). Under threat, Reinhold reveals crucial information about the O'Connor farm where he witnessed supernatural phenomena - a black radiance that swallowed the farmhouse and opened what seemed like "a portal to hell." Glen realizes this connects to their quest, and Reinhold desperately offers more intelligence about the chapel, claiming the nuns took children's blood to protect a powerful relic from "men like you." Russell arrives at Shys' homestead to find fresh graves and discovers that the coyotes murdered Shys' entire family. The devastated man emerges fully armed, demanding they take the coyotes "not to jail, but to the grave."

Chapter 39 Summary:

The final posse assembles at dawn near the schoolhouse to watch the chapel - Russell, Bern, Delia, Grace, Brazo, and the formidable Kiowa woman warrior Kasa (Sedamika's mate). Additional Kiowa fighters wait hidden in the tree line with traditional weapons. Delia struggles with her progressing werewolf transformation, noticing heightened senses, increased body hair, and an alarming bloodlust. She realizes she was infected during the previous battle and plans to leave town permanently after the fight to avoid endangering others.

Brazo explains their defensive strategy - Kiowa lookouts will signal the coyotes' approach with smoke signals. Bern assures the group that Glen will come directly for the men here (the talisman) rather than attack random townspeople, as obtaining it could mean "the end of the world." The gravity of their mission weighs heavily on everyone, especially Grace, who finds comfort holding Delia's hand as strange December thunder warns of the approaching supernatural storm.

Meanwhile, the coyotes advance through the dark landscape, hauling their prisoners and the reanimated Jasper who drips ash. Glen senses the hidden Kiowa warriors through smell before they can be seen, recognizing this as Russell's strategy to pad his forces with reserves. Rather than risk a direct confrontation with the hidden ambush, Glen leads his group off the main trail onto treacherous mountain paths. They successfully outmaneuver the Kiowa position and launch a brutal surprise attack on the lookouts, slaughtering all seven warriors with coordinated gunfire while thunder masks their shots. The coyotes then desecrate the bodies, with Glen personally torturing and cannibalizing the dying woman warrior. As they feast on their victims, Glen uses dark magic to transform the dying undertaker Verne into a grotesque creature by forcing human bones into his severed limbs while a live tarantula crawls into his mouth.

Chapter 40 Summary:

The posse waits tensely at the schoolhouse, unaware their Kiowa backup has been slaughtered since thunder masked the gunshots. Bern senses something is wrong, smelling death and blood from the mountain, while fantasizing about the saloon girl Sorrow and longing for one last dance. When they spot an unmanned cart approaching pulled by a strange creature, Russell investigates through binoculars, seeing what appears to be a log or totem pole in the cart bed.

Despite Russell's caution, Brazo insists they must make a stand rather than remain hidden. As they prepare to confront the mysterious cart, Russell realizes the creature pulling it is the undertaker Verne Pipkins, grotesquely transformed with human bones replacing his severed limbs and skeleton fingers protruding through his cheeks like spider mouthparts. The cart carries a horrific totem pole made of the decapitated heads of the slaughtered Kiowa warriors, impaled on a spear with various body parts arranged as gruesome decorations.

Underground, Sister Mabel continues her vigil, pouring children's blood through the Christ statue to suppress the men here's power while the nuns pray desperately. The battle erupts as gunfire rings out - Brazo is shot through the shoulder while Russell and the others return fire blindly, not knowing where the shots originate. Two coyotes charge down the street on horseback while a sniper continues shooting from the tree line. Glen releases his supernatural ravens in a tornadic swarm that shields the coyotes by throwing themselves into bullets to protect their masters. The chapter ends with the posse retreating to the schoolhouse under assault from the overwhelming flock of suicidal ravens, while Shys fights through the birds with savage determination, biting and tearing them apart as he battles his way to safety covered in blood and gore.

Chapter 41 Summary:

The siege of Hope's Hill continues as the schoolhouse defenders face a supernatural assault. Ravens swarm the building while Grace tends to the wounded, including Shy with bloody peck marks and Kasa clutching her injured arm. The defenders struggle to maintain their positions, firing from windows to keep the demonic birds at bay while coyotes position themselves outside.

Meanwhile, Glen leads Hiram to the chapel where they witness Jasper Thurston's corpse rising from Verne's cart, animated by dark sorcery. The resurrected first coyote walks purposefully toward the chapel, though his motivations remain unclear. Webb arrives with their captive Barley Reinhold, who reveals the location of the underground church in exchange for revenge against those who wronged him.

Inside the schoolhouse, Bern realizes that conventional weapons won't be enough against Glen's enhanced powers. He decides to venture outside to seek help from supernatural allies in the hills, accompanied by Shy despite the danger from the ravens. As they prepare to leave, Delia struggles with her growing hunger and attraction to Russell's scent, hinting at her own transformation. The chapter ends with Bern calling upon his lupine connections, summoning a massive pack of wolves from the forest through his supernatural howling abilities, revealing his nature as a "lupicinus" or wolf charmer.

Chapter 42 Summary:

Jasper's resurrected corpse undergoes a horrific transformation outside the chapel, his heart swelling with blackness until his skeleton morphs into a massive werewolf form. His bones crack and reshape as he grows claws and fangs, then tears at the chapel's front door with supernatural strength. Meanwhile, underground in the chapel's hidden sanctuary, Sister Mabel and the other nuns prepare for the coming assault, with Mabel feeling the familiar warmth of her protective blue magic.

The battle intensifies as Bern and Shy return with their wolf pack allies, charging through the chaos as ravens take flight and the pack tears into the demonic birds. Bern attempts to enter the chapel through a window but is repelled by its holy protections, though Jasper's dark influence is gradually corrupting the building's sanctity. Russell joins the fray, racing through the nightmare landscape to rescue Barley Reinhold from the coyotes.

The confrontation reaches a climax when Russell successfully frees Reinhold, only to be shot in the back by the very man he rescued. Reinhold, driven by his desire for revenge against the town that abandoned him, kills Russell with the marshal's own gun. As the chapel's defenses finally fail and darkness floods the building, Glen achieves his goal of entering the sacred space. The chapter ends with the chapel's walls collapsing outward like a puzzle box as Glen emerges carrying the glowing "men here" (the corrupted holy relic), now transformed into a creature of pure malevolence floating above the ground, ready to unleash ultimate destruction upon the world.

Chapter 43 Summary:

Glen successfully infiltrates the chapel and descends into the underground sanctuary, where he brutally murders Reverend Blackwell by tearing him in half and kills the nuns with his bullwhip. Only Sister Mabel survives by covering herself in the innocent blood of murdered orphan children, which creates a protective barrier against Glen's evil. In a desperate act of self-preservation, she bathes herself completely in the holy blood, which glows with blue incandescence and repels Glen's dark power.

Meanwhile, the battle above continues with horrific intensity. Bern manages to enter the chapel through a window as Jasper's corruption breaks down the holy barriers. Webb fights a losing battle against Kasa, who has transformed into a massive werebear, while the spider-creature Verne joins the melee. Barley Reinhold, having killed Marshal Russell, tries to choose a side in the conflict and ends up shooting the werebear to save Webb, though his motivations remain selfish.

The chapter culminates with Glen achieving his ultimate goal - he climbs the massive statue of Christ in the underground church and tears the glowing "men here" relic from its chamber. As he holds the corrupted holy object, his chest opens like a cabinet to reveal his enlarged, blackened heart, and he integrates the relic into his very being. The statue of Christ crumbles as Glen becomes a dark warlock of immense power, floating in the air with the relic now pulsing within his transformed body. Bern witnesses this apocalyptic transformation from hiding, realizing they have failed to prevent Glen from obtaining the key to open the gates of hell itself.

Chapter 44 Summary:

Bern manages to squeeze through the chapel window and descends into the underground sanctuary, where he finds Sister Mabel still alive but traumatized. The subterranean church is collapsing around them as Glen's dark magic destroys its foundation. Though weakened and struggling with his injuries, Bern helps Mabel to safety as they witness the aftermath of Glen's horrific transformation.

The surviving defenders regroup at the schoolhouse, bearing the physical and emotional scars of their defeat. Russell's body is brought inside and covered, while Sister Mabel hides her nudity under Bern's coat, still covered in dried blood. The group includes the wounded Bern with a bullet in his shoulder, Oscar Shy limping from multiple gunshot wounds, and Delia struggling with her growing werewolf transformation symptoms.

Despite their losses and injuries, the survivors face a crucial decision. Delia insists they must pursue Glen and stop him from completing his apocalyptic plans, while Bern initially despairs at their hopeless situation. Oscar Shy, despite being severely wounded, declares his intention to continue the fight until either the coyotes or he are dead. Their resolve is strengthened when Sister Mabel performs a miracle - using her remaining white magic and the holy blood still coating her body, she resurrects Marshal Russell from the dead. The chapter ends with Russell's return to life, surrounded by blue incandescence, as he awakens confused but alive, kissing Grace Cowland in a moment of passionate reunion before they prepare for what may be their final mission.

Chapter 45 Summary:

The resurrected Marshal Russell struggles to accept his return from death, initially believing he was merely unconscious until he sees the exit wound in his chest. Sister Mabel explains that she used white magic to bring him back through God's grace, though Russell questions whether this constitutes witchcraft. Bern confirms that not all magic is evil, and that the blue light surrounding Russell represents good magic.

The surviving posse members prepare for their final pursuit of Glen Amaroq, despite their wounds and exhaustion. They are joined by two new allies: saloon keeper Zeke Gottemann and young Cillian O'Connor, whose parents were killed by the coyotes. Cillian insists on joining the mission to avenge his family and protect his surviving siblings, taking up arms despite his youth.

The expanded group rides out from Hope's Hill in pursuit of Glen and Hiram, following the trail toward Black Mountain. Sister Mabel rides behind Bern, her remaining white magic now compatible with his reformed nature. The posse includes Russell on his loyal horse Fury, Delia on Brasso's stronger mount, Grace Cowland on Casa's mustang despite Russell's concerns for her safety, and the wounded but determined Shy. The chapter ends with the group thundering through the bitter air toward what they know will be their final confrontation with ultimate evil, their hearts pounding like locomotives as they chase lightning across the darkening landscape toward the coyotes' stronghold.

Chapter 46 Summary:

Glen and Hiram ride their demonic steeds up the bluff toward the O'Connor farm, their horses transformed by the power of the "men here" relic. Hiram's stolen roan now sports bone thorns and snorts dark fire, while symbols are burned into its hide by invisible hellish irons. An inverted star glows between its shoulders as it becomes a true demonic mount. Glen has developed new muscle and longer hair, existing in an in-between state of human and wolf form.

As they ride through a supernatural thundersnow storm, Hiram reflects on their losses - Webb is dead and the coyote gang has been reduced to just the two of them. However, he questions whether the old gang structure even matters now that Glen is becoming a prince of darkness with powers beyond mortal comprehension. The electricity from the storm revives Hiram's bloodlust and evil ecstasy.

Meanwhile, the expanded posse pursues them, following Bern's supernatural tracking abilities. The group now includes the resurrected Russell, the reformed Bern carrying Sister Mabel, Delia struggling with her transformation, the wounded but determined Shy, Grace Cowland despite Russell's concerns, and their new allies Zeke Gottemann and young Cillian O'Connor. Cillian is driven by vengeance for his murdered parents and determination to protect his surviving siblings. The chapter ends with both groups converging on the O'Connor farm - the site where Glen will attempt to use the corrupted relic to tear open the very fabric of reality and unleash hell upon the world.

Chapter 47 Summary:

At the ruins of the O'Connor farm, Glen raises the "men here" relic to the storm and successfully tears a hole in reality itself. A small black void appears, growing from the size of a pinhole to that of an apple, then larger, creating a portal that drains color and light from the world around it. This gateway to hell pulls at space itself, bending the visual world with its vacuum effect and casting the land in gray sepia tones.

Glen achieves his ultimate goal as he opens his own chest like a cabinet, revealing his enlarged, blackened heart, and integrates the "men here" directly into his cardiac muscle. The portal expands dramatically, revealing a hellish dimension filled with demons, monoliths of pulsing crimson stone, and the stench of sulfur and burning flesh. Armies of horrific creatures begin pouring through - humanoid forms with snakes for ears, a massive centaur, ghouls, imps, flying creatures with wings made of human lungs, and most terrifying of all, a colossal behemoth composed of hundreds of human torsos wielding crude weapons.

The posse arrives just as hell literally breaks loose. Bern's horse is killed by Hiram's gunfire, forcing him and Sister Mabel to fight on foot, while Zeke is trampled and killed by Hiram's demonic mount. Young Cillian flees into the corn maze as demons swarm the battlefield. The chapter ends with Bern fully transforming into his werewolf state, joining the pack of wolves in a desperate battle against an army of hell itself, while Glen leads the demonic horde as their dark prince, ready to plunge the world into eternal winter and suffocating darkness.

Chapter 48 Summary:

The battle against hell's army rages across the O'Connor farm as the defenders discover the demons can be killed with conventional weapons, though it requires significant firepower. Russell and Shy successfully take down several creatures while Bern, now in full werewolf form, teams with Sister Mabel, whose holy blood provides protective blue incandescence. The pack of wolves proves invaluable, tearing apart wounded demons and providing crucial support.

Delia makes a desperate gambit using dynamite from Brasso's saddlebags, successfully destroying the massive behemoth creature in a spectacular explosion that draws Glen's attention and fury. Meanwhile, in the cornfield, a tragic confrontation unfolds as Hiram hunts down Shy and young Cillian O'Connor. The sadistic coyote kills Cillian with a shot to the head, devastating Shy, who then engages in a brutal fight with Hiram.

The chapter reaches its climax with Shy's revenge against Hiram, whom he discovers was responsible for the rape and murder of Shy's wife and the horrific abuse and killing of their young son. In a scene of righteous vengeance, Shy stabs Hiram repeatedly, disemboweling him and ultimately eating the man's liver in a moment of primal justice. As demons continue to pour from the void, Sister Mabel contemplates whether this apocalyptic event might be part of God's divine plan, questioning if the portal represents the foretold end times. The chapter ends with Mabel hearing the familiar screams of children from within the void, deepening her spiritual crisis about the nature of good and evil.

Chapter 49 Summary:

Glen unleashes his full power, hurling massive fireballs of spiked metal and black flame across the battlefield. Delia and Shy flee on horseback as the destructive spheres explode around them, but their horse is killed when a fireball tears through its body, throwing both riders into the flames. Meanwhile, Bern engages Glen directly in a circle of hellfire, knowing he's outmatched but fighting desperately as the last hope against ultimate evil.

Russell and Grace take shelter in a rocky bluff, surrounded by demons as Russell's resurrection begins to fail - his skin grays and his heartbeat weakens. He urges Grace to flee while he makes a final stand, but she refuses to abandon him, declaring they will face their fate together. As his body deteriorates, Russell's teeth begin falling out, clear signs that Sister Mabel's miracle is fading.

The chapter's climax centers on a desperate plan by Sister Mabel, who realizes the void has deceived her and stolen her white magic. With no innocent blood left, she makes the ultimate sacrifice, offering her own holy blood to Delia, who is now partially transformed into a werewolf. Despite the moral horror of taking a nun's life, Mabel insists her blood - sanctified by decades of devotion to Christ - can provide the power needed to stop Glen. Just as Shy is about to perform the mercy killing to collect Mabel's blood, Glen appears and launches a fireball that sends Shy flying. The chapter ends with Delia, driven by her werewolf hunger and the nun's desperate pleas, sinking her fangs into Sister Mabel's neck, beginning to feed on the holy woman's blood as Glen watches in dark amusement.

Chapter 50 Summary:

The final confrontation reaches its apocalyptic climax as Delia, empowered by Sister Mabel's holy blood, transforms into a powerful she-wolf radiating blue incandescence. Glen initially mocks her transformation, believing she's simply given in to her wolfen nature, but realizes too late that this was a strategic sacrifice when Mabel's blood begins glowing with azure light, creating a protective aura around Delia that makes Glen recoil with nausea.

The two werewolves engage in brutal combat, with Delia's youth and the holy blood giving her advantages against Glen's experience and dark power. During their fight, she manages to tear Jasper's corrupted heart from Glen's forearm and crush it with her white magic, finally laying the founder of the coyotes to rest. However, the true source of Glen's power - the "men here" relic - remains embedded in his chest.

As Glen weakens from his wounds and transforms back toward human form, Delia seizes her moment. She resists the relic's temptation when it tries to corrupt her with visions of cruelty and violence, instead pulling dynamite from her coat and lighting it with the black flames of one of Glen's fallen fireballs. In a final act of sacrifice, she drives the lit dynamite into Glen's chest cavity next to the "men here," effectively turning herself into a living bomb. The chapter ends with Glen paralyzed and dying as Delia runs from the imminent explosion that will destroy both the last coyote and the corrupted relic, potentially closing the portal to hell and saving the world from eternal darkness.

Chapter 51 Summary:

The climactic battle reaches its explosive conclusion as Delia's dynamite finally destroys Glenn the Dreadful. His body erupts in a gruesome display of black blood and supernatural force, with his remains scattered across the battlefield. Though Delia has achieved her long-sought vengeance by killing the last of her family's murderers, she finds little joy in the victory, recognizing that her quest for revenge has fundamentally changed her into something darker and more vicious.

The portal to hell remains stubbornly open despite Glenn's death, leading Delia and Byrne to discover that Glenn's heart, fused with the ancient Menhir stone, is the true key to closing the dimensional gateway. However, both werewolves are unable to handle the corrupted artifact directly, as it floods their minds with sadistic visions and threatens to complete their transformation into the very evil they've been fighting against.

In a desperate solution, Byrne realizes they can use Sister Mabel's blessed corpse as a holy container. Despite the horrific nature of the task, he forces Glenn's heart and the Menhir stone into the severed skull of the murdered nun, whose sanctified blood and remains provide enough divine protection to contain the artifact's malevolent influence. This grisly but necessary action represents their only hope of closing the portal and saving the world from the demonic invasion.

The chapter establishes the final pieces needed for the ultimate sacrifice, showing how even in their darkest hour, the characters must perform unthinkable acts in service of the greater good, while highlighting the terrible cost that their supernatural battle has exacted on their humanity.

Chapter 52 Summary:

The final confrontation reaches its climax as the surviving members of the posse reunite in the aftermath of Glenn's destruction. Byrne carries Sister Mabel's severed head containing the Menhir stone, while the portal to hell continues to churn ominously, threatening to unleash more demons upon the world. The group assesses their remaining resources - Russell has five bullets left, Grace has three, and Delia possesses one final stick of dynamite.

Byrne makes the ultimate sacrifice, recognizing that someone must carry the contained Menhir stone directly into the portal to ensure its destruction. He shares final words with each member of the group, offering Delia crucial advice about controlling her werewolf nature by following her instincts rather than fighting them, and maintaining her pure heart to avoid the corruption that claimed others. His guidance emphasizes becoming a "lone wolf" who makes her own path rather than following the dark routes taken by the coyotes.

With the demons returning from the hillside to defend their portal, Byrne lights the dynamite and enters the vortex. In a moment of redemption, the man who had lived a life of wickedness finds peace in performing one final noble act. His explosion, combined with Sister Mabel's blessed remains and the contained Menhir stone, creates a spectacular display of blue divine fire that destroys the portal and sends the artifacts spiraling into the collapsing dimension.

The portal finally closes in a thunderclap of azure flame, with surviving demons either destroyed or scattered to the wilderness. As storm clouds part to reveal the natural sunset, the immediate supernatural threat ends, though some demons have escaped into the world, setting the stage for future challenges.

Chapter 53 Summary:

In the immediate aftermath of the portal's destruction and Byrne's heroic sacrifice, the survivors must face the reality of their transformed lives and uncertain futures. Grace attempts to show affection to Delia, but the young werewolf must pull away as she feels the dangerous hunger rising within her, her predatory instincts threatening to overcome her human compassion even toward those she cares about most.

Recognizing the danger she now poses to innocent people, especially with the approaching full moon and the influence of Mars growing stronger, Delia makes the difficult decision to leave Hope's Hill and her newfound companions behind. Despite Grace's protests and desire for her to stay, Delia understands that her path as a werewolf must be a solitary one, echoing Byrne's advice about becoming a "lone wolf" who forges her own way.

Meanwhile, Russell's deteriorating condition becomes increasingly apparent, his skin growing pale and his veins becoming visible as the supernatural corruption continues to consume him. The toll of their battle against the supernatural forces has left him weakened and dying, representing the cost of their victory.

As night falls and the red moon rises like a malevolent eye in the sky, Delia claims Glenn's demonic horse Belial and rides away from her friends, carrying Glenn's severed head as a grim trophy. Her departure marks the beginning of her new existence as a supernatural guardian, forever changed by her quest for vengeance and now tasked with hunting down the demons that escaped during the final battle.

Chapter 54 Summary:

The chapter reveals the fates of the surviving members of the posse in the aftermath of their supernatural battle. Despite Russell's determination not to leave anyone behind, they discover that Oscar Shies has survived his horrific injuries, though at a terrible cost. His leg has been completely shredded and burned down to bone and fat, requiring amputation at the knee to save his life. Using a makeshift tourniquet, Russell performs emergency field surgery to prevent Shies from bleeding to death.

Back in Hope's Hill, Shies awakens in Joyce Ambercrombie's rooming house after several days of fever and delirium. Dr. Southington from Battle Creek has treated him for blood poisoning, and he now faces life as an amputee with the aid of laudanum for pain management. The town itself is being rebuilt with help from a cavalry brigade of lawmen, carpenters, and volunteers, showing the community's resilience in the face of the supernatural devastation that nearly destroyed them.

The chapter's most poignant moments focus on Russell and Grace's final time together, as his supernatural corruption continues to consume him. Despite Grace's desperate hopes for some magical cure after all they've witnessed, Russell accepts his fate with quiet dignity. Their tender farewell is filled with philosophical reflections on love, meaning, and the simple magic of human connection that transcends any supernatural power.

In a touching parallel, Shies experiences his own medical mystery as he discovers that his severed leg is mysteriously beginning to regenerate, suggesting that his encounter with supernatural forces has left him changed in unexpected ways, though he must hide this miraculous healing from the world.

Chapter 55 Summary:

Russell's final journey begins as he travels by train to Fort China, Texas, his face heavily bandaged to conceal his supernatural corruption from other passengers. The sympathetic conductor, believing Russell to be seeking medical treatment for his mysterious condition, helps him throughout the journey and assists with his horse when they arrive. Russell's deteriorating state is evident in his strained breathing and increasingly translucent flesh that makes it difficult for him to stay warm.

From Fort China, Russell continues his solitary journey to his hometown of Lonely Bell, Texas, which appears faded and sepia-toned to his dying eyes, like an old photograph of memories he can barely hold onto. He avoids contact with the townspeople, making his way across the familiar plains where he once found peace watching wildlife and enjoying the natural beauty of his homeland.

Russell's destination is revealed to be the grave of his beloved wife, Caldonia Russell, marked by a simple wooden slab bearing the inscription he carved: "Here lies Caldonia Russell, a goodly wife. Never was one more beloved. May she rest in peace." The chapter reveals that Russell had sold their home to a family of five before leaving to become a marshal, and he hopes they have found the happiness there that eluded him.

In a deeply moving conclusion, Russell sits beside his wife's grave under the oak tree where they once courted, watching clouds as they used to do together. When he can no longer stand on his own, he uses his horse Fury to pull himself up, then prepares for his final act. With methodical precision, he ties a noose to the oak tree branch, positions his faithful horse beneath it, and prepares to join his wife in death, having completed his duty as a lawman and finding peace in returning to her side.

Chapter 56 Summary:

The final chapter follows Delia's transformation into a supernatural guardian as she arrives in the farming town of Steelbranch, which resembles her destroyed hometown of Cottonwood but maintains a livelier atmosphere. Her journey has already proven dangerous as she has encountered and killed two robbers who threatened her, feeding on their flesh to help control her werewolf urges without fully transforming yet.

With her first full moon as a lycanthrope approaching, Delia faces the terrifying prospect of losing control and killing innocents during her transformation. Despite her fears, she maintains her mission to hunt down the demons that escaped during the final battle at Hope's Hill, traveling from town to town to protect humanity from the scattered supernatural threats.

At the town's dancehall, Delia fulfills one of the two promises she made to Luther Byrne before his sacrifice. She seeks out Sorrow, a blonde saloon girl whom Byrne had danced with during his final visit to the establishment. After some confusion and recognition through their shared werewolf characteristics, Delia delivers Byrne's message that Sorrow was his "final dance," a poignant reminder of his humanity even in his cursed state.

The chapter concludes with Delia fulfilling the second promise by getting a tattoo of the number "13" in honor of Byrne, the thirteenth coyote who found redemption through sacrifice. This permanent mark serves as both a tribute to her fallen mentor and a symbol of her own transformation from a revenge-seeking girl into a supernatural protector. As she prepares for her first full moon transformation, Delia has become the lone wolf that Byrne advised her to be, forging her own path while carrying the memory of those who shaped her destiny.