Eric Banyon, also known as Bedlam's Bard, managed to rescue his young
brother Magnus from what seemed to be a killer demon (in Mad Maudlin),
but now he must rescue Magnus again, this time from their tyrannical
parents. Eric does not look forward to the battle, but is confident he
can gain custody. His financial sources are virtually unlimited, his
friend Ria Llewellyn heads the most high-powered law firm in New York,
and in a pinch he and his friends can use to magic powers, even
flummoxing a DNA test, it comes to that.
What Eric does not know is that his parents are allied with the
evangelist Billy Fairchild, who himself is a tool of the evil Unseleighe
elves, who feed off human sorrow and suffering. Fairchild specializes in
getting "bad" children to shape up, which is accomplished by letting a
soulsucker--malevolent creature from the elf world--drain the victim of
all talent, creativity, and will, leaving an obedient zombie husk
behind. If Magnus and his friend Ace, who is also on the run from her
twisted parents, fall into Fairchild's hands, they will join the
Unseleighe's zombie ranks. And even Eric's bardic magic may not be
enough to save them.