Description
In the isolated Appalachian town of Burrsville, Tess Wynne lives in precious quiet. Having been left for dead a century earlier, Tess made a deal with the devil to stay in the only home she's known. Tending to her wildlife sanctuary, she keeps the land and its people safe — pulling on spidering threads of ancient magic and trying to preserve the balance of nature against the encroaching ravages of human influence. But every autumn the devil returns, offering Tess more power in exchange for a foothold in the human world. And every autumn Tess refuses.
As Tess prepares her wildlife sanctuary for the winter, an unexpected addition to Burrsville catches the locals' attention. Freshly arrived Zeke Abdee, the town's new pastor, begins to sinisterly mold the townspeople to his will.
With everyone slowly turning on Tess, Pastor Zeke is determined to stake his claim on the very land where Tess keeps her sanctuary. Cornered, a desperate Tess pushes her magic to the darkest edges. All the while, the devil bides his time, waiting for Tess to decide if she will be prey — or predator.