In 1964, white in LA is the color of convenience. For Cody, nothing in life is convenient. He falls in love with Malia from the nearly extinct Chumash tribe. He is befriended by Mr. Ozzard—a Persian refugee with grandiose, scary tales of faith and betrayal. His father, an Okie during the depression, treats Cody as harshly as his father did. Watts riots erupt. A demonic warrior from the ancient Chokki clan kidnaps Malia. As a boy, he must rescue her. As the man he must become, he relies on the strength his father beat into him. With the help of Mr. Ozzard, Malia’s uncle, and a dagger like a sliver of ice that can slice through the spirit, Cody forges onward as if a cavalry soldier without a horse.