The Empath Gene

by Lorna Tedder

a Stand-alone Supernatural Thriller in The Secret Lives of Librarians Universe

High‑Concept Tagline: Think La Femme Nikita meets The Magicians meets Die Hard, as a psychically-gifted woman discovers her traumatic past was orchestrated by occult forces to create the perfect weapon.

Description: Empath Lilah Burns thought her extraordinary psychic abilities were a curse—until she discovers they were engineered. When she and Raven Darbyshire, the last priest of a dying order, attempt to acquire The Ouija Book, they become trapped in a deadly game orchestrated by a rogue priest bent on ending their bloodline forever. As the night unfolds in a high-rise siege, Lilah must confront not only this lethal pursuit but also the shocking truth about her origins—that her entire life was manipulated to create the perfect empathic weapon for the coming apocalypse.

Through supernatural visions revealed by the mysterious book, Lilah discovers the horrifying scope of the occult conspiracy that shaped her existence—from her conception by two unwitting empaths to her deliberate childhood trauma designed to activate her supernatural gifts. As her pursuer closes in with the power to destroy the ancient priesthood forever, Lilah must weaponize the very abilities that have tormented her to survive this deadly night.

Genre: Urban Fantasy, Paranormal Thriller, Supernatural Suspense, Conspiracy Thriller, Dark Academia

Tone: Dark, intense, fast-paced, psychologically complex, atmospheric

Tropes:

Why You’ll Love It: Dark urban fantasy featuring a weaponized empath who discovers her traumatic past was orchestrated to forge her into humanity’s ultimate weapon. Perfect for readers who crave psychological thrillers with supernatural conspiracy, morally complex characters, and high-stakes survival in contained settings.

Trigger / Sensitivity Warnings: Child abduction and torture, psychological manipulation and conspiracy, non-consensual psychic intrusion, violence and murder, survivor’s guilt and self-harm ideation, childhood abandonment, references to suicide, body horror and ritualistic scarring, loss of agency.

Note: Some traumatic content appears as backstory/memories rather than present action.