Projects

The Horrors of Us

One dead boyfriend, one terrible mother, and a bloody family legacy that may turn Quinn into the monster she’s always feared.

Status: Editing

Quinn Maddox grew up in a mystical secret order filled with dark rituals and magic. A decade after going no contact with the Hallowed and her mother, Quinn’s power rears its ugly head. She’s left with her boyfriend’s body in two pieces at her feet, and his blood staining her millennial grey couch. Facing a crime scene, Quinn must do the unthinkable—call her mother, Charlotte, for help.

Charlotte agrees to help under one condition: Quinn must become a Sacrati in an unsettling ritual rite called The Consummation and compete in a series of lethal magical trials.. Those who perish are fodder for a primordial god. Those who win—ascend through the ranks becoming leaders. But magic isn’t the only way to win; sometimes a secret is the sharpest weapon.

Quinn’s younger sister, Gwyneth, is also participating in the rite. Quinn is reminded of an old childhood promise to Gwyn—to survive their mother and the Hallowed—together. Ultimately, Quinn agrees because how else will she get rid of a dead body? During the day, the sisters endure lethal trials, competing on the same team, while Quinn learns how to wield her magic—bending the fabric of reality. At night, Quinn’s dreams are filled with visits from a strange entity. Struggling with her mental health, she starts to consider alternative ways of fulfilling her vow to Gwyn—including wiping out all of the Hallowed.

When Charlotte’s shadowy secret rises to the surface, Quinn’s grasp on reality begins to wane; the horror in the unknown beckons. At the final rite, Quinn struggles to keep her pledge to Gwyn and juggle the weight of her family’s bloody legacy. She must decide: resist the man haunting her to save her sanity and legacy, or surrender to the dark power and keep her sister’s promise.