City of Snakes

City of Snakes is the third volume in The City trilogy. It was written by Darren O'Shaughnessy, better known as Darren Shan, but never published. It has been re-edited and was published in March 2010 under the pen name Darren Shan.

Plot:
City of the Snakes takes place 10 years after Hell's Horizon and has two narrators throughout the story: Capac Raimi, and Al Jeery. The story begins with Capac Raimi struggling to maintain control of the city as the new Cardinal. Rival gang, the Kluxers, formerly known as the KKK, have been growing substantially in power and is the top contender to knock off the Cardinal as the top gang in the City. To add to his issues, Capac Raimi has spotted various Ayuamarcans such as Conchita, Inti Maimi, Leonora Shankar, and recent surveillance footage of the real Paucar Wami; all supposedly dead after the original Cardinal jumped off the roof of Party Central 10 years ago. Capac is the only one who clearly remembers the Ayuamarcans as everyone else lost their memories of them 10 years ago with the mysterious green fog, however he takes the time to explain the situation to his top lieutenants and recently retired Ford Tasso, who all believe him. After being resurrected from a murder by two of his most trusted men, Gico Carl and Cathal Sampedro, Capac visits now retired Ford Tasso to run his empire while he uncovers the mystery behind the recurring Ayuamarcans. Ford declines, but Raimi pursues his investigation and begins by visitting the resting place of Ferdinand Dorak, the former Cardinal, in the Fridge.

Once there, Raimi asks to be left alone in the Dorak's isolated resting place to investigate. He finds the delicate body of the ex-Cardinal in its proper place, and closes the lid of the coffin. As he turns around, the coffin slides from its position, revealing and underground passage from Dorak's chamber. Emerging from this passage is a fully naked Ama Situa, Capac's former Ayuamarcan lover. She gestures for Capac to hold her hand, and despite his bewilderment he follows her into the underground passage.

The middle and body of the story is then narrated by Al Jeery.