Stained

Appointed as a keep in the Tower of London during the reign of Queen Elizabeth I, Richard Chylton hates what he sees happening to innocents accused of witchcraft. His mother is a midwife, always vulnerable to accusations, and his best friend as a child could make magick. Thorn loved to play tricks to entertain Richard, unknowing what she was and how dangerous her powers could be. She is a natural witch from a long line of powerful women, spirited away for her own safety, to relatives in Ireland when she was five and Richard was eight. But they had a connection that lasted through the years.

Thorn works after dark. That's when she combines her gifts as a tattoo artist and her powers as a natural born witch to weave magick into her ink. Her tattoo parlor, Stained, on Berkeley's quirky Telegraph Avenue draws clients from all walks of life. Her work is in high demand from the supernatural community and the undead. With her raven familiar, Thorn's been on the run all her adult life. She won't talk about why. She only wants to practice her art in peace. But when a murderer targets her clients, Se, a tall, dark and Irish detective is assigned to investigate.

fter Sé and Thorn’s nearly deadly encounter with Thorn’s brother, Caleb, the couple heads to Ireland to recuperate at Thorn’s ancestral home. As a witch, Thorn walks into a less-than-warm reception in the staunch Protestant town. And when children go missing, Thorn and Se are the first suspects. But those who remember Thorn and the old ways come to her for protection - and to find the children.