Stories of flesh-eating, unworldly creatures living in streams and lakes, have flourished for centuries. For indigenous tribes to survive during famines, mothers sometimes drowned their newborns. Native Americans know them as water babies. The dispossessed children continue to hibernate in the reservation lakes and rivers, their small bodies stranded in limbo.

In this installment of the Dark Feather Novel series, a malevolent entity awakens them and transforms them into ravenous beasts.

After winning the previous Summer of Stolen Soul's battle with skin walkers, the local citizenry assumed their lives have returned to normal. They are dead wrong. Once again, the benevolent, but cantankerous medicine man, Old Bob, is obliged to employ his mysterious powers. He pairs with his enigmatic spirit animal guide, Coyote, to help rid the scourge of water babies. In concert, the motley Rainbow Warriors attempt to regroup, but one of them is obsessed with anger and self-pity, crippling the war party's esoteric crystals and shapeshifting abilities.

Skin walkers emerge from hiding, bent on destroying Old Bob. Poltergeists plague Bonnie's antique store. Old Bob and his grandson's contentious relationship ignite a series of events seemingly impossible to overcome. Only one of them can survive.