Felix Salazar is the most sought-after barber in Never, not just for his razor’s precision or the indulgent warmth of his lather, but for the experience he makes of every visit. His shop, nestled off a quieter side street, is a dim, fragrant haven where time slows down and pleasures linger. Felix himself is a sensualist to the bone: Graceful in his movements, silver-tongued in conversation, and always clad in crisp waistcoats that smell faintly of clove and smoke. He’ll remember your name, your drink, your dreams, and he’ll listen, truly listen, as you pour them out in the chair.
Beneath that velvet charm, though, lies his darker calling as a demon, placed in Never to seduce the weary, the lonesome, and the damned into taking one small step further into Hell’s embrace. He doesn’t pressure, he tempts. A whispered suggestion, a shared secret, a decadent favor with just the right price. His scissors shape more than hair; they trim the edges of a soul’s resistance, snipping away hesitation thread by thread.
Duke Aguilar
Like generations of his forefathers in Argentina, Duke Aguilar has always had a way with horses. Even the most spirited stallion or ornery pack horse would yield to his murmured words and calming hands. When his family fled the growing political and social unrest of their homeland, that skill proved just as valuable to the ranchers of California as the ones in Buenos Aires. For years, he coasted on those talents and his charm, weaponizing a sheepish smile and soulful eyes, getting what he wanted with as little effort as possible.
That worked perfectly well until he ran headfirst into Gloria Mata, whose determined disinterest drove him to absolute distraction. Winning her heart took time and effort, but when she finally gave him her hand, she also offered him the truth. She was a witch–the first he had ever known, though he’d long believed in magic. To protect her and soon enough, their children, Duke left his family legacy behind and bent his skill with horses into a slightly different direction. In Never, he runs the livery and works at the forge, with his children following in his footsteps. If the closest he gets to a horse these days is hammering on its shoes… He tries not to let nostalgia sour his overall satisfaction.
Dolores Aguilar
Like her elder brother, Dolores realized by the age of ten that she hadn’t inherited the slightest spark of her mother’s magic. Unlike her brother, who accepted the disappointment and turned his attention elsewhere, Dolores got angry, and she’s been simmering at a low level of irritation ever since. Her mother encouraged her to work on her patience, which only created a divide between them. The fractures worsened when Dolores decided that she would force magic upon herself by any means necessary. Over the years, she’s attempted a half-dozen questionable rituals. Perhaps fortunately, she’s been unsuccessful every time, but her mother’s misguided reassurances that they all love her anyway just rub salt in the wound. Her close relationships with her father and brothers have thus far kept her from leaving the family business and striking out on her own.
Otto Bell
Otto Bell is the jovial half of the Silver Hills Hotel duo, always ready with a quick joke or a playful quip to put guests at ease. His humor is infectious, and he has a natural gift for making even the most anxious traveler feel welcome and comfortable. Whether he’s cracking jokes behind the desk or creating a lively atmosphere at the hotel’s social gatherings, Otto’s ability to bring joy and laughter makes him a beloved figure in Never.
But beneath the playful exterior, Otto shares his sister Maggie’s angelic calling. While Maggie guides lost souls with quiet grace, Otto is the one who gently lifts their spirits with humor and warmth, easing their burdens before they continue their journey. His mission to help the lost find their way to Heaven is woven into his every action, though he wears it lightly. He may be more inclined to crack a joke than preach, but he is just as devoted to his heavenly task as Maggie — Ensuring that the light of kindness and laughter reaches even the darkest corners of the town.
Gloria Aguilar
Gloria is a MEDICINE WOMAN WITCH with SPIRITUAL HEALING/HARM powers.
Love moves mountains, or so goes the old saw. Gloria learned early in life that ramming your head repeatedly into a rock, no matter how large or how small, will never give you what you want. Better to push little by little and bit by bit, nudging at all the exposed surfaces until their edges wear down smooth. That flexibility let her survive a childhood that might have drowned a less adaptable soul. She and her sister, Imelda, endured together by lifting each other up when one or the other started to sink below the surface. They escaped as soon as they could, but Gloria never forgot how she’d had to make herself small and bend herself into uncomfortable shapes to keep both of them safe. Hiding and pretending seemed like a miserable future for her family. Fortunately, her husband agreed, and together they packed up and rolled eastward until she could stand in the grass and feel magic sparking upward through the soles of her feet. She knows that leaving the Aguilars back in California hurt her husband and causes him no little regret. She would still make the same decision in a heartbeat.
Seth Breakenridge
Ostensibly, Seth works at the Pearl to keep a divinely-sanctioned eye on the demon calling herself Augusta Packer. In practice, the two of them have reached an uneasy detente in their tug-of-war for Clarence Barton’s soul. Seth isn’t a neophyte; he knows he’s being manipulated. He minds less than he should, because the alternative is a return to Heaven and its perpetual tedium. Despite his immortality, he’s never done well with boredom, and the end of the pitched battles between the heavenly host and the armies of Satan has thwarted his soldierly ambitions. Baiting his demonic counterpart at every opportunity adds at least a little spice to waiting around for the Rapture.
Augusta Packer, aka Jewel
Augusta was always especially guilty of the sin of pride, even before the Fall. She had reason; she commanded legions. But that was once upon a time, before she dared to edge her toes onto the perch of a far greater demon and earned herself a pair of broken wings and a new position at the bottom of the pecking order. She swallowed her pride and made a deal to save herself, but her stomach never quite settled afterwards. Every time Clarence Barron calls upon her power to increase his own, the metaphorical bile rises just a little higher in her throat.
Chooli “Lee” Solares
Lee is a MEDICINE WOMAN WITCH with PHYSICAL HEALING/HARM powers.
Chooli has been called a lot of things during her life. The least insulting of them is obstinate. From the moment she could walk, she either went her own way or refused to go another step. Fortunately, her talent for good medicine–health regained, curses lifted, balance restored–outweighed the frustration she otherwise caused her family and the rest of their band. They nurtured dreams of a powerful future for her as wife and mother and eventual elder, but Chooli always had a strong sense of bad things coming. She saw a darkness like a thunderhead on the horizon, and damned if she was going to stand still waiting for it. When her family refused to listen, she saddled up with a man who did: Jesus Santiago Solares, traveling east from California and looking to spend his mined gold on land and cattle. He wasn’t looking for a wife, but he did believe in the kind of magic that would bring the right woman walking out of the desert and into his arms. She was only seventeen when Jesus bought the land that would soon become the Double Six. Years later, when the Long Walk took her band, she was hundreds of miles away and safe in the arms of the family that she and Jesus had built together.
That family, and the ranch that sustains it, has grown into the love of her life. No matter the shortcomings of her children–and their children–she will defend them ferociously. Losing Jesus and gaining full ownership of the Double Six has only sharpened her resolve.
Ofelia Aguilar
Ofelia is a PURITAN WITCH with ILLUSION powers.
Ofelia would never admit that she struggles to pay attention, especially when she’s meant to be working the forge. She’d rather her family chide her for being self-centered and lazy than confess to her frequent absent-mindedness. Time just seems to slip through her fingers, minute by minute and hour by hour, until suddenly she looks up and the sun is setting…or the fire has burned out, or the horse she was meant to be shoeing has grown bored and wandered away. Her saving grace is her magic, which has always come easily, no matter how her mind might wander or her focus might waver. Her natural talent pleases her mother, and the strength of their bond creates a helpful buffer between Ofelia and the exasperation of the rest of her family.
Maya Rao
Maya is a WRAITH SPIRIT.
Maya was born a Rajput princess in the northern part of what we now call India in 1552, and was the third wife of Mughal emperor Akbar the Great. Renowned for both her beauty and intelligence, she proved exceptionally adept at the use of “soft power” in influencing politics. During her time as Akbar’s wife, she failed to produce any children, and there was a prevailing rumor that she took precautions against pregnancy because she enjoyed her power within the court so much. She consistently butted heads with her husband’s regent-turned-advisor, and it is unclear if the tumble down a long flight of stairs that broke her neck in 1582 was an accident. At any rate, she now prefers to remain on the ground floor.