New York Times bestselling authors W. Michael Gear and Kathleen O'Neal Gear premiere a captivating new mystery series packed with ancient myth. Archaeologist Dusty Stewart finds himself diving into a chilling excavation of an ancient massacre site when the echoes of an eight-hundred-year-old mystery reverberate, leaving tantalizing clues in its wake. But Dusty's expertise is not enough to decode the brutality etched into the remains, and-in a twist of fate-his nemesis is summoned to aid in deciphering the cryptic puzzle. When Dr. Maureen Cole arrives at the scene just as a formidable artifact surfaces-the basilisk, a symbol of witches and the hidden realm of duplicity-her task is to trace an ancient blood trail, a path laden with betrayal and madness. Drawing on her anthropological expertise, Maureen embarks on a quest to unveil the truth behind the heinous crime that has remained shrouded for centuries. But the horrors of the past have a way of intertwining with the present. Across time, in the shadowy expanse of Hillside Village, a primeval monster known as Two Hearts lurks, moving invisibly through the Katsinas' People and casting a sinister shadow. And when War Chief Browser discovers his wife's brutal murder at its hands, he vows to end the methodical killer's reign by any means necessary-and uncover its terrifying secret once and for all. Can Dusty and Maureen piece together the puzzle before the malevolent forces that span centuries ensnare them?