In a Europe scorched by the witch trials, can a heathen and a holy man walk side by side?
Angus Grey, the young heir of an English lineage of warlocks, is a diviner; and he knows that he is dying. Willing to put his soul at stake to change his fate, he summons an ancient power, with unfathomable consequences.
Bartley Blyth, the aged prior of Westminster Abbey, once damned both himself and his country. But when he is given a belated chance at atonement, it comes at the cost of a perilous journey he would rather not make.
Their paths were never meant to cross. Yet they form an unlikely bond, only to find themselves on opposing sides of a brewing war. For even as the Roman throne becomes vacant, a legendary sorcerer is scheming to destroy the Church and all that it stands for.
Revenge, redemption, or life eternal: each has to discover what they truly seek—and the price they are willing to pay.
Lord Edward
Of proud Anglo-Norman ancestry, lord Edward can tell you that the barons Grey have ruled over this remote region of England, the Lincolnshire Fenlands, for generations. Why indeed, Grey for Anketell Grey; warlocks of the purest stock! In his declining years, lord Edward has but one desire: to secure his legacy. Alas, his only son… well… it isn’t that he can’t do witchcraft, of course; he can—very much so. Witchcraft of sorts… just not the right sorts. Besides, he’s dying, which is most unhelpful of him.
Lady Eleanor
Years ago, fate or her own waning scrying abilities led her to house Grey, whose lord soon fell under her spell. As the last hope of a fabled island of eternal summer, now shrouded in mist and frost, she knows the time draws nigh to repair an ancient misdeed.
Angus Anketell Grey
A gifted, ailing youth, Angus is the heir of house Grey. But he sees life as a cruel farce overshadowed by death. The only prize worth seizing would be immortality itself… and he is willing to risk his soul to earn it. Able to converse with the dead, Angus is the covenant’s diviner.
Joan Lincoln
A feebleminded servant girl.
The Named One
?? A lesser demon with a sweet tooth and a curious mind.
John Feckenham
The abbot of Westminster, whose bright intellect is matched in equal measure by his charity. He was appointed when Mary I became queen, and undertook to repair the damages done under the reign of her father, Henry VIII, who broke away from the Church of Rome. To complete his restorative work, he has a special task for his faithful prior, Bartholomew Blyth.
Bartley Blyth
Kindhearted and somewhat timid, the prior of Westminster has served his abbey for nearly twenty-five years. He hoped that this might be enough to redeem him. But now, near the twilight of his life, his abbot assigns him a terrifying task. Still, how could he say no? Long ago, he caused the fall of his own abbey—and the dawning of the Church of England.
Miles Sedgwyck
Miles should have been entrusted with this sacred task! Has he not supported, for more years than the Savior lived, the bishop of London as he cleansed England of moral dissent? Has he not proven his worth and devotion many times over, as he himself lit the fires that purified heretical souls? But such thoughts are the devil’s whisperings. He shall keep his peace and help the feeble monk fulfill his duty… and may Heaven grant him patience.
M the Damned
The founder and master of a covenant of warlocks sworn to overthrow the Church of Rome. Notorious for his dangerous political thinking, the sorcerer known as M is rumored to be Europe’s most powerful practitioner of the dark arts. He once vanished for thirteen years. Now returned and direly changed, he has but one ambition: to restore the heathen order by fire and by sword.
The Mask Maker
A shrewd Venetian warlock and alchemist, the Mask Maker is M’s trusted second in command. To achieve their purpose, she is willing to sacrifice many things—including their allies.
The Raven
An outcast by birth, the Raven prefers the company of his winged brethren. He has his own reasons for serving the covenant as a capable lawyer and cryptographer.
Basilides Orontes
A magus and a friend of jinn, Basilides is fluent in several dead languages. Drawing on his vast store of knowledge, he suggested that M summon an ancient Eastern power to help him prevail. Peaceful, charming, and kind, he seems out of place among sorcerers.
Don Dracón Cabeza de Toro
Don Dracón and M met and almost killed each other in Toledo, a city infamous for its underground schools of sorcery. A proud descendant of an illustrious lineage of court jesters, don Dracón loathes traitors, hypocrites and priests.
Thibault de Brigue
A boisterous French warlock with a bon vivant approach to life and death. When matters turned even darker than usual, Thibault steadfastly remained by M’s side… until an unfortunate incident involving a powerful magistrate.