Five Flames

Tessa Taylor thought she left her past behind-until evil followed her home. It begins as whispers across her mind, and a voice reminding her of a painful past. Then come the nightmares, blinding visions of bloodlust and vengeance. Now Tessa is in a fight for her own sanity as she desperately seeks answers to the madness consuming her. A trip back to where it all began reveals the terrifying truth-Savannah's most haunted house harbors a wicked secret, one that Tessa can't accept. But the more she fights the temptations leading her back to that dark place of her childhood, the faster she loses herself to an ancient, evil influence. After her fiancé and best friend join the fight to save her soul, Tessa finds she must escape the most horrifying of realities. A demon followed her home from that haunted house, and it has entered into a bid for her soul.

Laboratory director Jason Waters managed to survive the brutal attack by Tessa Taylor that left him crippled. One year later, he wants answers-and revenge. But an ill-fated trip back to that haunted Savannah house leads Jason to a terrifying conclusion-that there is evil within those walls, waiting for the next victim-and he has just walked into its trap. Now Jason finds himself in a fight for his sanity, his soul, and his city. Terrifying visions seduce him into sickness and hospitals are overrun with victims of a new, horrifying plague. And the only person who can stop the outbreak from spreading like wildfire-is the one who may have caused it.

Augustus Jones always dreamed of becoming a famous actor, but the closest he's come is a ghost tour guide. His biggest claim to fame is that he once led the infamous Tessa Taylor on a tour. His only joy in life is weaving stories of ghosts, wonder, and fantasy for the tourists who seem to cherish his every word. But when he's forced to enter the house that allegedly haunted Tessa, everything changes. Stories told in jest suddenly become real. Treasures previously lost manifest themselves before his eyes. Everything Augustus ever wanted is at his fingertips-but it's being granted by a dark force that threatens to take over his soul. Now Augustus must make a choice. Refuse the demon entry to his every desire and never know what good fortunes await-or accept the darkness into his heart and his soul into the hands of evil. The life Augustus has always dreamed of is just one lie away-all he has to do is say it.

Thirteen-year-old Hayden Rogers doesn't have a problem. Her parents don't like how skinny she is, or the video games she plays, or her obsession with Tessa Taylor. But Hayden doesn't have a problem-it's her parents that have the problem. If they paid attention, maybe they'd know why their daughter refused to eat, and why she needed to lose herself in virtual worlds. Then maybe they would have stopped her from entering the most haunted house in Savannah. First, she hears the voice first. Perfection, he calls her. Then the demon comes to her in her sleep with visions of a life free of torment. Torn between insanity and acceptance, Hayden no longer knows what's real, what's inside her head, and what the truths are that her parents are trying to twist. But one thing she knows to be true. The demon understands her. He listens. He gives her power. And the demon is just one crumbling building away from stealing her soul forever.

Five years ago, Ben Cates lost the woman he loved to the darkness. Now, he wants answers. A trip back to where it all began reveals the terrifying truth-everything Tessa claimed about demons was true. Lost in grief and alcohol, Ben casts his intuition aside and enters Savannah's most haunted house seeking answers. Unbeknownst to Ben, there is still one demon left-and she specializes in vengeance. He is face-to-face with evil incarnate. He doesn't think he believes in demons. But he can't deny the voice inside his head and the dreams of a serpent-haired woman promising him unfathomable power. To resist would mean losing his soul and forsaking the lives of everyone he loves. To submit would mean avenging Tessa for the life stolen from her in exchange for his own. Now Ben must make a choice-deny a truth, threatening to tear his mind apart-or reunite the five flames, and watch the world burn.