Turn Coat - Plot Summary

Plot Summary

Nearly a year and a half after the events in Small Favor, Dresden's nemesis, Warden Morgan, shows up and asks for protection from the other Wardens. Morgan remembers going to sleep two days ago, waking up in Edinburgh today, and standing over LaFortier’s corpse with the murder weapon in hand. Dresden and Morgan agree that someone may be eliminating wizards who have hindered their schemes. When asked about pursuit, Morgan reveals he was given a favor by the Summer Queen which he exchanged to muddle the tracking spells of the Council. The faerie spell masking Morgan from the Wardens will expire in about 48 hours.

While obtaining supplies, Dresden spots a naagloshii, a 'skinwalker' following him using his Sight. The psychic trauma of seeing incapacitates Dresden, who rides his car up onto a sidewalk. After Dresden gets out of his car, he enlists the Alphas to protect him while he recovers from seeing the 'skinwalker' with his third sight, which ambushes them, killing one of the Alphas and putting another in ICU.

While investigating a lead at the Zero nightclub, Harry learns from Justine that Morgan is being hunted by supporters via a Craigslist ad, before being interrupted by Madeline Raith, who tries and fails to seduce Harry, and threatens Justine's life. Thomas incapcitates his cousin and holds her down for Justine, who tortures Madeline with her touch leaving her wounded and burned. Outside the club, captain of the Wardens Anastasia Luccio appears and interrogates Dresden about consorting with the vampires, and tells him about LaFortier’s murder. She was worried that Morgan escaped to kill Dresden - thinking that Dresden was LaFortier's true murderer. She knows Morgan didn't do it, because she has known him for over a hundred years, him having been her apprentice.

While Dresden is at the night club, Molly arrives at the apartment for her potions lesson, becoming legally entangled and agreeing to help care for Morgan. They move Morgan to a magically-warded storage unit in an upscale neighborhood with frequent police patrols. Dresden goes to council headquarters in Edinburgh, where he informs the Merlin that he wants to find the killer, who quietly accepts his help. Once Dresden is back in Chicago he enlists the help of Murphy to accompany him to the storage unit. The hideout is attacked by Binder, a mercenary named for his use of bound demons. After a large attack and outnumbered, Dresden draws a circle around Murphy and himself for protection from the demons. While occupying Binder, Molly and Morgan, veiled, draw out a circle around the demons defeating them and turning into Ecto-Plasm. In the confusion, Thomas disappears. Now cornered, Binder begins to run away as Murphy runs him down tackles him and arrests him for questioning. Dresden takes the others through a Nevernever shortcut and they head back to the safety of his apartment.

Dresden invites Luccio to accompany him on a visit to Lara Raith and accuse her of complicity. Before Lara can retaliate, the mansion is attacked by the Naagloshii who trashes the mansion and exterminates Raith's entire security team. Facing Dresden and Lara, it demands Morgan in exchange for Thomas' safe return. Realizing he needs far more strength to combat the skinwalker, Dresden decides to perform a Sanctum Invocation to the mysterious island of power in Lake Michigan (site of the finale in Small Favor). The Sanctum Invocation involves summoning and fighting the spirit, genius loci, of the island. After besting the spirit, Dresden conducts the ritual and names the spirit "Demonreach".

Despite this, Dresden, aware that he can't fight each fight one at a time, calls the Council, House Raith, and the Naagloshii, convincing each that Morgan is on the island or that the island is where they will meet to discuss further strategy. On the island, Lara Raith and the representatives of the senior council (Ebenezer McCoy, Listens-to-Wind, and Ancient Mai) are displeased to see each other. Before Dresden can explain the complex chain of cats-paws, they are attacked by Madeline Raith, Binder, and Binder’s demons. The murderer is on the island, but is working with someone else on a second front on the island. Dresden uses his connection to Demonreach and the island to direct the Wardens and vampires in combat. Dresden and the Alphas are ambushed by Madeline and Binder, but are supported by Lara, who kills Madeline. Dresden defeats Binder, who gives him Madeline's cell phone. In exchange, Dresden lets Binder go free. While fighting the Naagloshii, Thomas is thrown into the cabin with Molly and Morgan. Tortured by the Skinwalker beyond his energy reserves, Thomas is starving. Molly activates a crystalline force field to prevent Thomas from eating them. Dresden puts up a fight that keeps even the Naagloshii on the defensive but eventually collapses from exhaustion. Listens-to-Wind then arrives and drives off the Naagloshii.

Lara collects Thomas, promises to take care of him, and leaves. Since the White Council didn’t actually see the murderer, it is still politically expedient to charge Morgan for the crime. Dispirited and out of options, Morgan surrenders.

Dresden attends Morgan's trial, held in the underground of Scotland. He testifies that the Nevernever gateway into Chicago was staked out by his dog, Mouse, and a private detective who photographed everyone entering and leaving. Since Mouse is a Foo dog, Ancient Mai and others on the Council accept Mouse as a reliable, incorruptible witness. The photo shows a very highly-placed clerk named Peabody coming through the gateway. Dresdeen reveals that Peabody has also been influencing virtually everyone on the Council by use of magically poisoned ink. At this, Peabody smashes a jar, releasing a Mistfiend spirit mixed with mordite. The spirit, drawn to the light that many wizards summon by reaction, kills everyone it touches. In the panic, Peabody escapes using safe words he implanted in minds of the recently-recruited wardens, rendering them mute and paralyzed. Dresden pursues Peabody as the Merlin contains the Mistfiend.

Attempting to escape, Peabody opens a Way into the Nevernever. Overpowering Dresden, Peabody is about to kill him when Morgan arrives and kills Peabody with Luccio's gun, but the strain reopens Morgan's wounds fatally. Morgan then explains that it was Anastasia Luccio who actually killed LaFortier, under the influence of Peabody, and Morgan acted to protect her. Morgan then passes away.

In the aftermath, Gregori Cristos fills LaFortier’s Senior Council seat. The Merlin had rigged the election to appease Cristos and his faction and prevent a Council schism. Since Cristos is probably a member of the Black Council, they managed to place one of their own on the Senior Council despite everyone’s efforts to the contrary. During a respite, Luccio approaches Dresden, and reveals that her romantic feelings for Dresden were most likely manufactured by Peabody’s subtle influences, and ends the relationship. Murphy runs the numbers on Madeline’s cell phone. There are repeated calls to restaurants in Algiers and Egypt - probable locations of Black Council activity.

Dresden and Ebenezar speak after the Council meeting. Ebenezar is slowly drumming up support, quietly, from those who believe in the Black Council. They have to be silent since the Merlin denies the existence of such a group and proposing such a thing could be considered treason. They accept this and then decide to call themselves the "Grey Council".

Dresden contacts Lara and asks to see Thomas, who explains that the Naagloshii had tortured him, and forced him to fatally feed on several women. After repeated fatal feedings, he now views everyone as food, and comments that his sister is proud of him. However, Thomas still has feelings for Justine and smiles at Harry before he leaves.