Jen Rice

When Jen Rice witnesses the murder of a werewolf, she wants the culprits brought to justice. Soon, she discovers that people she thought she could trust will turn on her and allies can be found in the most surprising of places. When a demon-possessed psychic targets her for assassination, she must find a way to thwart his scheme before falling to his traps. Not only that, but the psychic isn't the only demon-infested being with Jen in his sights. It seems like everywhere she turns, danger waits in the shadows for a taste of her blood. With the help of her brother Patrick and Troy, her half-werewolf friend, she discovers that treacherous waters run deep and she will have to be fast on her feet if she wants to survive. In a world where werewolves, vampires, and poltergeists are common, sometimes just being human can be the biggest challenge of all.

Enormous black-armored knights rampage across town, killing everything in their wake. Their cruel mounts and hellish hounds cause almost as much chaos as the knights themselves. Jen Rice and her friends are helpless to stop as the demonic creatures run rampant through town, killing anyone who gets too close. A rash of high-end thefts has the police department running in circles. Jen is contacted by the thief, who asks her for help. His daughter has been kidnapped by demons and Jen is the only one he knows he can trust - not only to believe him but to save his daughter. Jen knows that there is a pattern, one that will lead to nothing but pain and anguish... possibly more than even she can handle. The Festival of Souls is supposed to be a celebration of the spirits. This year, the Festival marks the beginning of the end. This year, not everyone will come home.

New World Response is in a state of panic. Jen Rice, their newest member, has been kidnapped by demons. Governmental agents swarm the town, searching for answers. Darkness is rising. Trapped in a living nightmare, Jen must survive the torment of being held hostage by the brutal demons who control her every move. Not only must she find a way to save herself, she needs to discover a way to rescue the others who are trapped alongside her and keep the demons from discovering her awakening powers, powers Jen can't even begin to understand. Escaping the demons isn't the hardest part. The real challenge is surviving the Darkness... the disease that fuels the demons and powers their unearthly realm. Those who are contaminated are never the same afterwards. Are Jen's new powers her own natural abilities, one she had been missing her whole life, or are they a symptom of her infection with demonic energy?

Darkness is spreading. Even greater challenges are waiting for Jen after she escapes the demonic realm. She has little control over her own abilities, abilities that every test she has taken confirms she doesn't have. Agents from the NPIB are hounding at her heels, wanting to know her secrets. Vampires and werewolves are losing control of their hunger, attacking any who comes near. An old enemy, almost forgotten, returns with a grudge to settle with Jen. At least Cylin is dead, her friends saw to that personally. Even after the death of his apprentice, Thaxter continues to exert his influence over Jen, an influence she is less and less inclined to resist. The prisoners who had been held by the demons are in recovery, but their treatment isn't much better than what they received at the hands of their tormentors. Determined that her new friends had suffered enough, Jen takes it upon herself to make their situation better. Suffering herself, she refuses to face what she has been through without a fight.