Byron

[Previously published as Byron by Charity Bishop.]In the fog-drenched streets of 1920s San Francisco, some demons wear pinstripe suits. Others wear the faces of children.Byron Hayes is no stranger to the darkness that lurks beneath the city's glittering facade. As the church's reluctant expert on the occult, he has dedicated his life to fighting the supernatural forces that prey on the innocent. But when his mentor is found dead in a desecrated cathedral—the victim of a gruesome spiritual torture—Byron knows this is no ordinary evil. The demonic signature belongs to Moloch, the ancient demon-lord who shattered Byron's life fourteen years ago, killing his wife and driving his sister to madness. He's back, and he's hunting for something.A mysterious woman with eyes as green as absinthe and a past as dark as the city's alleys holds the key. Raven claims to have escaped the clutches of a ruthless mob boss, but her knowledge of the demonic underworld is too precise for a mere moll. She speaks of a legendary blade—the Sword of Michael—an artifact powerful enough to kill a demon forever. It's the one weapon Moloch craves, and the one thing Byron must find first. To do so, he must trust the one person his instincts scream is a liar.As a supernatural storm brews over the city, Moloch's demonic twin assassins unleash a wave of terror, leaving a trail of bodies in their wake. Byron and Raven are plunged into a desperate race through illicit speakeasies, shadowy back alleys, and the haunted ruins of the great earthquake, searching for a prophesied champion destined to wield the sword. In a battle where faith is the only shield and redemption is paid in blood, Byron must confront his past to save the future. But will the woman he's forced to protect be his salvation, or his ultimate damnation?