Cursed from childhood with terrifying fits, nineteen-year-old Elsbeth Abernathy has long been deemed unmarriable and unclean—marked by whispers of demons and madness. When tragedy strikes her family in the Scottish Highlands, she and her widowed mother flee to the New World, seeking refuge in Charles Town, South Carolina. But the Atlantic crossing proves perilous, especially when Elsbeth’s affliction resurfaces and draws the attention of Captain Thorne Rex—and something far darker.
An ancient vampire. A deal made in desperation. A destiny rewritten.
As centuries pass, Elsbeth—now immortal and hiding behind the name Elsie—struggles to reclaim the life stolen from her. Haunted by the past and hunted by powerful enemies, she and Thorne are thrust into a battle against vengeful witches, a sea goddess, and the twisted legacy of forgotten magic. Alongside a found family of supernatural misfits—including immortal children, a cunning druid, and a warlock brother long thought dead—Elsie must face the truth about her power and the darkness that has shaped her soul.
Because the true curse was never the one placed upon her—it’s what she might become if she can’t break it.
Nineteen-year-old Elsbeth Abernathy, the eldest of nine, has always been marked as unmarriable—cursed by strange fits that have haunted her since childhood. Branded as demon-possessed, she and her widowed mother are forced to flee Scotland, hoping for a fresh start in Charles Town, South Carolina.
Captain Hawthorne Rex, a young and inexperienced leader, takes charge of their voyage across the Atlantic. When he witnesses one of Elsbeth’s terrifying episodes, he makes a fateful choice: to protect her and her starving family from the perils of the sea.
Their journey takes a darker turn when a mysterious stranger boards the ship—an ancient vampire with his own sinister plans. Drawn into his world, Elsbeth must make unimaginable sacrifices to protect her family and the lives of everyone aboard.
Centuries later, in modern-day Charleston, an old love returns, and fate intervenes once more. Will Elsbeth finally escape the darkness that has pursued her through the ages, or will her cursed past claim her future?
With the vampire pirate Kragen in hiding and a powerful sea witch looming on the horizon, Elsie and Thorne press on in their quest to free her from the madness that has consumed her life.
But when their ragtag team stumbles upon a mysterious immortal child, chained and abandoned, their priorities are changed. A new enemy has emerged, forcing them to confront a threat far greater than they could have imagined.
As Elsie, along with Amelia, Topher, and Celeste, unravels the dark secrets binding them all, she learns that every soul carries a story—and pain is the force that connects them all.
Bestowed with a dangerous power, Elsie must confront her inner monster and reclaim the life that was stolen from her, or risk losing everything to the shadows.
With the immortal children held captive by the vengeful Sea Goddess, Elsie and Thorne are forced to return to Charleston in a desperate bid to save them.
Their mission takes an unexpected turn when Elsie discovers that her infant brother, Aaron, not only survived the journey to America but became a powerful warlock. Now, magic itself stands in their way, and a new enemy rises from the past.
With the help of unlikely allies, Elsie and Thorne must confront dangers beyond their darkest fears. Because in this battle, the greatest threat isn’t death—it’s a fate far worse.