Clarence has always been easy to underestimate. As a child, he was frail and bookish, a stark contrast to the two strapping brothers who followed him. His father expected little and his mother even less. When his father died, he dared to hope that the world–or at least the rest of his own family–might start to take him seriously. Instead, his younger brother stepped into the role of man of the house without so much as a word of discussion, and Clarence settled into the kind of resentment that either poisons a man from within…or sets him free. Whatever his private truth might have been, he refused to box himself up small to fit the old container designed by his family. He left them back east and headed out west, where a man could supposedly make his own destiny.
Several decades (and deviances) later, he’s become one of Never’s most well-established residents. The demon that heeds his commands is a double-edged sword, but even his detractors can’t ignore the political, financial and social influence that she’s given him.
Clarence Barron
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.
Nettie Hogan, aka Lily
Nettie Hogan — Known as Lily at the Pearl, the upscale gambling hall and brothel in Never — seems to glide effortlessly through the high-society world of gilded poker tables and expensive perfume. She’s a strikingly beautiful young woman with dark eyes that seem to hold the secrets of the whole town. Beneath her polished exterior, however, lies a heart that yearns for something more than the fleeting touches and whispered promises of men who don’t know her real name.
Though she’s carved out a place for herself in the Pearl’s glittering world, Nettie is no mere object of desire. She’s an artist at her core, with a mind full of stories, poems, and dreams of a love far more real than any she’s experienced. Her passions are hidden behind the mask of Lily, but she carries them with her always: The deep ache for romance, for a connection that isn’t bought or bargained for.
Ada Blaesy, aka Kitty
Ada is a NAGUAL WITCH.
Ada Blaesy, known as Kitty at the Pearl, is a vision of beauty in the heart of Never’s wealthiest and most exclusive gambling hall. With a face and figure that seem to belong to the painted canvases of the world’s finest artists, Ada captivates every man who crosses her path. But what they don’t know is that behind the delicate features and soft-spoken charm lies a sharp mind, a practical heart, and a will of steel.
A cunning strategist in a world where appearances are everything, Ada plays her part with precision. Kitty is exactly who she needs to be to thrive in the Pearl’s high-stakes, high-society game. Her magic is as fluid and adaptable as the persona she wears. Her particular gift lies in shape-changing, a skill she has honed over the years to perfection. With a thought, she can become someone else entirely: Someone more suited to the whims of a client, someone who can slip through the cracks when danger looms, or someone who can disappear into the shadows when she wishes.
Though she wears the mask of a sultry courtesan, Ada knows the rules of Never’s dark underbelly all too well. She has learned to manipulate those around her without them ever realizing it, shifting her form and her intentions as easily as the moon shifts the tide. In a town where things are never quite what they seem, Ada keeps her secrets close. After all, it’s better to be a mystery than a pawn, and Kitty might be the perfect mask, but Ada Blaesy is the one who holds all the cards.
Effie Rickett, aka Daisy
Effie is a REVENANT SPIRIT.
Death put a serious damper on Effie’s grand plans. She had everything going for her–youth, beauty, talent, and the cleverness to unite all three–when she turned eighteen and her father promised her to Cornelius Gander Rickett, factory owner and railroad heir. Rickett was well-bred, appropriately connected, and twenty years Effie’s senior. Worse yet, he was absolutely disinterested in allowing his fiancee to follow her passions for art and music. Effie had dreamed of performing on the stages of the world. Instead, she found herself standing before an audience of New York’s upper crust, speaking vows over her own strongest protests, and boarding a train for a honeymoon trip across the country.
Rail travel could be dangerous, of course. Desolate country. Potential derailments. Slippery tracks. The shock of a new bride disappearing barely a week after her wedding was dreadful, but her husband’s obvious grief made for excellent tragedy in the society papers. Two families mourned. Life moved on.
Effie…didn’t. Move on, that was, and her memory of what had actually happened that dark night on the train stayed crystal clear. Tied now to Never, she’s forced to make do with what she has left–her pretty face–but the possibility of someday wrapping her delicate hands around her former husband’s neck keeps her focused on the future.
Jim Plunket
Jim Plunket is a mountain of a man, tall and broad-shouldered, with a presence that commands respect the moment he steps into a room. As the bouncer at the Pearl, Never’s upscale gambling hall and brothel, he is known for his unshakable calm and steady demeanor. His patience is legendary: Whether it’s breaking up a brawl or quietly escorting an unruly drunk out into the night, Jim always handles things with a measured hand. His deep voice is as soothing as it is firm, and he’s earned a reputation for keeping the peace with little more than a raised eyebrow and a well-timed word.
But beneath Jim’s calm exterior lies a past he’s worked hard to bury. Before Never, he was once part of a notorious outlaw gang, skilled in violence and strategy. His life with them ended in a brutal ambush that left him the sole survivor, carrying the weight of betrayal and regret. He walked away from that life, seeking peace in the Pearl, but his past still haunts him, and he is quietly waiting for the day it catches up.
Inez Garcia, aka Flora
Inez Garcia, known as Flora at the Pearl, is a woman who knows exactly what she wants and how to get it. She’s vivacious, charming, and always the center of attention, whether she’s laughing louder than the rest or dazzling men with a smile that could make them forget their names. With a sharp mind for money and numbers, Inez keeps a careful count of every transaction and every tip, turning small sums into bigger ones with effortless grace.
But behind the facade of a beautiful, ambitious young woman lies a past shrouded in darkness. Inez grew up in a remote village in Mexico, where her family ran a small but thriving herbal remedy business. What most people didn’t know was that her mother — Once a renowned healer — had dabbled in dark magic, performing rituals that drew unwanted attention from both the living and the dead. When Inez was just seventeen, a botched ritual led to the accidental death of a local man. In the chaos that followed, her mother disappeared without a trace, leaving Inez to take the fall for a crime she didn’t commit. Fearing for her life, Inez fled north, leaving behind everything she knew, determined to outrun the dark legacy of her family. Now, in Never, she’s built a new life for herself full of ambition and charm, but the shadows of her past still haunt her, and sometimes, when the wind howls just right, she swears she hears her mother’s voice calling from the darkness.