The house had not been lived in, but it had never been empty . . . Fresh from their expedition into Rainier Asylum, librarians Sadie and August attempt to dig further into the past, uncovering hideous truths related to the noxious cult. Their research into the diabolical sect dredges up more questions than answers, however—especially where Sadie's own history is concerned. She finds herself wondering just how much of what she's been told about her origins is true, and is assailed by doubts about her upbringing. While grappling with her own angst, Sadie encounters a ghost from her past and soon finds herself steered to the doorstep of a lonesome manor house. This crumbling place, hidden amidst the pines, may prove to be the black heart at the very center of the diabolical conspiracy. The two librarians set out into the remote hillside to explore the shadowed property, but the house—and its nightmarish tenants—are not what they seem. Whatever answers they stand to gain from their trip may come at too high a cost.