Jonathan Pettigrew, a Vegas magician whose career has taken a dive after the accidental death of his assistant. Things turn dark when he discovers a devil in a small Mexican town.

He will travel far to gain true power, even at the cost of his soul.

The Grinning One is an ancient demon, worshiped as a deity by some and feared universally by all. It is released into the world and the magician must learn how to control the evil one or die with the rest of humanity.

Jonathan strives against other magicians and the demon in search of power, love and the meaning of his life.

A novella of magic, horror and Faustian deals.

An exciting romp into the dark side.

Chapter 1

Jonathan Pettigrew paused, lifting his head from his frantic reading of the crumbling papers as the building shuddered. The deep moaning roar from below the ground vibrated his back teeth. He could hear the boards of the ancient home popping as the wood shook.

He didn't think the house would last much longer. If it fell he wasn’t sure that the wards keeping that thing in the stone cellar would survive.

He shuddered as visibly as the house at the thought of the black thing being free with no control. His conscious mind refused to recall what it had seen of the creature; all he could remember was blackness and the teeth, those horrible teeth. His mind may have refused to process the creature’s visage but he understood at an instinctual level, if it escaped unfettered he and many more would wish for death as an escape from its violence and hatred.

He turned his attention back to yet another stack of yellowing parchment covered with scribbling. He cursed the penchant for sorcerers to hide their knowledge in codes and symbolism.

This was not turning out to be the easy road to riches he had hoped.

Chapter 2

“Ladies and gentlemen, the legendary Jonathan Pettigrew.”

How many times had he heard that introduction as he strode onto the stage like a God from the ancient days, prepared to bring wonder to the masses?

Before what he preferred to refer to as ‘the accident’ Jonathan had performed on the largest stages in Vegas. His magic act had garnered him an HBO special and even a command performance for the Queen of England. Jonathan had been rich beyond the dreams of avarice. Supermodels wanted to bed him and the rich and famous begged for him to be their guest.

Jonathan thought his greatest moment had been when he had displaced that boor Copperfield as the top earning magician and then taken his spot in the MGM’s main arena. Jonathan looked upon performers like Copperfield as a lesser life form; they were not of his caliber and didn’t deserve to share the same stage where he performed.

Fame and glory had ended with a literal blast three years ago when his assistant and lover, Melody, had entered his famous Teleport Cabinet.