TrudchengrewuphearingOdette'sstoriesoftheirmonster-slayingmotherandamagician'scurse.ButnowthatTru'solder,she'sstartingtowonderifheroldersister'staleswerejustcomfortinglies,especiallybecausethere'snothingfantasticaboutherownlife—permanentlydisabledandinconstantpainfromchildhoodpolio.In1909,afteratwo-yearabsence,OdreappearswithasuitcasesupposedlyfullofweaponsandapromisetorescueTrufromthemonstersontheirwaytoattackher.Butit'sOdwhoseemshauntedbysomething.Andwhenthesisters'searchfortheirmotherleadsthemtoaface-offwiththeLeedsDevil,anightmarishbeastthat'swreakinghavocintheMid-Atlanticstates,Trudiscoversthepeculiarpossibilitythatsheandhersister—despitetheirdarkpastsandordinaryappearances—might,indeed,havemagicafterall.