Theodore Baker inherited a heavy duty from his grandfather: he must use a crystal's nocturnal light to draw out savage, unspeakable creatures and kill them. He has spent the past twenty years following news of rural murders and journeying incessantly back and forth into danger in this never-ending hunt. Theo is recuperating at a relative's house in idyllic Derbyshire when he comes across young Audrey Masterson, who is pricking her finger with a pin and collecting her tears. These tears produce a rather freakish effect and Theo feels duty-bound to investigate. He soon connects Audrey to an eerie, abandoned church on a lonely hill and also possibly to the death of an old woman in town. Theo knows how to deal with monsters, but how is he supposed to handle the budding evil of a witch-child?