Power

Power is an integral part of the Summer Knight. The main plot of the novel follows Harry Dresden as he searches for the killer of the Summer Knight, Ronald Reuel, at the request of the Winter Queen, Mab. Mab tells Harry that something has been stolen, and that he will know what it is when he discovers it. Through investigation, Harry realizes that the missing thing is in fact the mantle of power of the Summer Knight.

The power of the Summer and Winter Knight, the enforcers of the Winter and Summer Courts, is bestowed on them by the queens of the Courts. This power is handed over to the appointed individual, a mortal, because the rules of the faerie beings prohibit them from killing those they deal with. By giving the power to a mortal, the queens have found a way around the rule.