The Descended - Paperback

Abandoned by her father years ago, journalist Audrey Kelly now fears her partner is abandoning her, too. He's blindsided her with the admission he won't marry her. Embroiled in a heated argument, the couple is interrupted by ferocious beasts crash-landing in Ohio, screeching and attempting to annihilate everyone around them, including Audrey's partner.

Audrey flees for her life and is rescued by a stranger who whisks her to safety through a hidden red door cut into the side of a mountain. It's a portal to an underground shelter built by a secretive society, and Audrey is afforded food and a bedroom but is forbidden to explore. A good reporter doesn't stop just because people say no, however, and when Audrey begins to investigate, she witnesses unsettling things: A man loses his leg only to walk the underground shortly thereafter, and people answer questions she's never voiced aloud.

When Audrey unearths a crimson folder bearing her name, its secrets begin to peel back truths: Those in the underground harness supernatural powers and have unspeakable connections to her tragedies. What Audrey ultimately unleashes-or doesn't-will mean the difference between life and death for those closest to her-and for the world.