Arcane archivist Harper is plagued by nightmares of grotesque creatures and bloody deaths. Her visions are becoming more frequent, more violent… and they’re coming true. She is guilt-ridden when a man is killed after she had a visceral experience of his death and did nothing to prevent it. The unusual markings on his corpse, combined with his neatly excised vocal cords, send a ripple of terror through York and rumours of witchcraft abound.

Harper tries to harness her powers to stop the murderer before they kill again. She can’t trust anyone, not even those closest to her, as any hint of magic is punishable by death and supernatural creatures have been hunted to extinction. While trying to keep her secret, Harper teams up with her Christian, demon-hunting foster-sister; a Muslim forensic scientist; and the deception demon she accidentally summoned.

By becoming embroiled in the supernatural, Harper risks the authorities discovering her secret. Yet her magic brings her closer to her own forgotten past, a mystery she’d sacrifice almost anything to unravel. To protect both human and supernatural, Harper walks the thin line between their worlds. Through her divided loyalties, there is one thing she knows for sure: if either side catches her, she’ll die.

Characters

Harper Ashbury

Harper was found wandering in the mists of Swaledale at approximately 13. She was taken in by the De Santos family who are as close to her as blood. She and her foster-sister, Grace, share a house in York.

In a world where magic is punishable by death, Harper spent years trying to suppress her innate abilities. When her visions may be the only way to stop a murderer, she is forced to embrace her heritage as a seer and witch.

Occupation: Arcane archivist at York Cathedral

Hobbies: Reading, playing violin, sketching, hiking

Likes: Hanging out with her sister, picnics, music, art, books, cats, star-gazing

Dislikes: Nightmares, the dark, dating, training

Grace De Santos

Grace is from a renowned family of demonhunters who enjoy high standing both politically and socially, and she's not afraid to use the fact to her advantage.

When her father found Harper, she devoted herself to her newest sister and they've rarely been apart since. Although Grace enjoys being a demonhunter, she's also a softie underneath and has given up the family calling in order to protect Harper.

Occupation: Vet

Hobbies: Reading, playing piano, cooking, martial arts

Likes: Hanging out with her sister, any kind of animal, dating, romance novels, Italian food

Dislikes: Most people, Harper's magic, people getting hurt, laziness, untidiness

Saqib Siddique

Saqib is enthusiastic about anything he sets his mind to doing. Incredibly optimistic and outgoing, he is the most personable of the group and smooths over ruffled feathers after Grace is finished ordering people around.

His love of science comes from a desire to right a personal loss and help others caught by the same tragedy. New discoveries thrill him. It was his scientific abilities and trustworthy personality that led Harper to asking him to join the group. That, and he has a car.

Occupation: Doctor of Supernatural Forensics

Hobbies: Photography, researching, gaming

Likes: Discovering new things, anything science-related, meeting new people

Dislikes: Heights, fighting, disrespect, sloppy experiments and poor record keeping

Heresy

Heresy has flitted in and out of the human realm for centuries, training some of the most well-known magicians and illusionists in history. Sadly for him, he's stuck with Harper, a witch who can barely light a candle. Heresy is basically a ball of soot with a Cheshire Cat grin and manically waving tentacles. Think Studio Ghibli soot meets Calcifer.

Sarcastic, teasing, and there entirely for his own amusement, Heresy nonetheless feels a genuine affection for Harper and would be sad for a whole 5 minutes if she got hurt.

Occupation: Harper's sidekick

Hobbies: illusion magic, escape tricks, making fun of people

Likes: Cats, Harper making mistakes, the internet, the human realm

Dislikes: Magic which looks mundane, his home realm, bigger demons, being bored

Zero

Zero is a white Turkish Angora cat. He works for someone mysterious and cruel who uses Zero's magic to police other supernaturals and for experimentation.

Occupation: Magician's familiar, dream-maker, artificer

Hobbies: Visiting art galleries and shiny dreams, reading, making dreams and magic things

Likes: Zoomies, visiting new places, listening to art, books, learning, fish, chicken, basically any meat, sunny patches, ice cream, being warm, naps, magic that's good for plants and the environment, his master and home

Dislikes: Nightmares, not being allowed to help people with nightmares, water/being wet, people hitting him, compliments, being dirty, Heresy, One, his master and home.