When his parents disappear after a fierce storm, eleven-year-old Danny, unaccustomed to acts of bravery, comes to their rescue after finding a valuable shard of wood that enables him to talk to plants and animals and battle terrifyingly powerful enemies, including the demonic Sammael.

"Danny thinks he's left magic and mystery behind, but Sammael, a creature of terrible imagination, refuses to let him go. A strange new girl, Cath, enters Danny's world, bringing with her a message: Danny's cousin Tom has sold his soul to Sammael. It's up to Danny and Cath to find Tom and stop Sammael, who seeks to destroy humankind once and for all"--