Willet du Place suffers from a rare hearing disorder that amplifies the sounds she hears to painful levels. The noise of the modern world drives her into migraines, strong meds, and a life spent hiding in her bedroom. She and her sister, Audrey, move to the quiet of the California desert east of Los Angeles to escape the noise. They meet a woman named Gem who turns their life upside down. Gem claims to be the Guardian of the Gate to the Underworld. This mysterious woman wants Willet to use her extraordinary hearing to locate breaches in the Gate and stop swarms of demon Red Souls from sneaking into L.A. The demons attack the minds and emotions of people on the street, driving them to chaos and despair. Willet and Audrey find themselves recruited into the Circle of Augustus, a committed circle of fighters that guards the Gate and sends Red Souls back to the Underworld. L.A. is full of distractions for Willet that she never experienced before. She meets a man with sandy blonde hair, a surfer body and green eyes she could drown in, the owner of a rock club in West Hollywood. She never wanted anyone so much, but. so does every Hollywood starlet in the city. TJ may break her naive heart. Willet will take that risk, along with all the risks of becoming the Listener in the Circle of Augustus. A life without risk is no life at all.