After months apart, Wednesday reappears in Shadow's life, resolved to drag him back into his war effort. A meeting with the god Wisakedjak leaves Shadow with a prophecy about his destiny.

Shadow explores his oddly welcoming new town before heading to Chicago for a gathering of the Old Gods on Koliada. Wednesday reconnects with his oldest friend.

As the search for the missing girl continues, Shadow dreams of Bilquis. Wednesday discovers the whereabouts of his old love, the Greek goddess Demeter, and resolves to free her from the grip of an unscrupulous antagonist.

Shadow and Technical Boy team up to search for Bilquis, who finds herself captive and in the midst of a crisis of identity. Wednesday visits the local chapter of notorious biker gang Lords of Valhalla.

Shadow uses a recently enlightened Bilquis to explore the concepts of identity, purpose and destiny; Technical Boy is faced with an identity crisis; Wednesday forms a plan for a new con and asks Shadow to play a part in it.

Shadow forms relationships with the Lakeside citizens as he gets used to living there, even though unwelcome elements from his past continue to follow him; Wednesday makes a final effort to win over Demeter while he is hunted by Laura and Salim.