The Ash and the Entity
In a world of cold stone and holy fire, a demon's whisper is her only truth
- Fantasy
- Historical Fiction
- Horror
In the shadow of the Holy Ember orphanage, eight-year-old Willow Pike is a living sin. With hair as black as soot and eyes the color of a winter sky, she carries a secret that would see her burned: a forbidden affinity for fire. Under the cruel watch of Sister Martha and the sadistic Father Jeremiah, Willow's spirit is supposed to be broken. But she isn't alone in the dark. Beside her stands Shade, a mischievous, red-eyed entity only she can see. He doesn't offer prayers; he offers rebellion. As Willow grows, so does the heat beneath her skin, suppressed only by the promise of a life with Tabitha, the orphan she calls sister. But when the church's 'holy justice' claims Tabitha's life in a display of senseless brutality, the embers within Willow finally ignite. No longer willing to be the victim of a god that demands blood, Willow embraces the darkness Shade has long promised. Some sins are too powerful to be beaten out—and some cathedrals are destined to fall. From author Winifred Barnes comes a haunting tale of trauma, vengeance, and the terrifying beauty of a girl who finally stops hiding her light.