Slade House

Norah Grayer is the novel’s primary antagonist, as well as the narrator of the final chapter. She is a psychic Soul Carnivore who operates independently of the sects that populate Mitchell’s universe, such as the Shaded Way. Norah and her brother, Jonah, are the residents of Slade House, and they extend their lives by consuming the souls of their Engifted guests. When the novel begins, Norah is biologically 80 years old. However, because her body remains frozen in time in the lacuna, she permanently appears as a 32-year-old woman. The end of the novel sees time leaking into the lacuna, causing her to age rapidly to her true age in 2015: 116 years old. She is defeated by Marinus, who outsmarts her by anticipating the weaknesses of Slade House and the lacuna.

Norah is characterized as being more careful and contemplative than her twin brother. When she first appears, she represents herself to Rita Bishop as Jonah’s mother, which resonates with her tendency to parent his more impulsive behavior. After they succeed in trapping Nathan in the lacuna, Norah worries about all the potential risks of their next operandi, from the sudden appearance of their previous guest to the flaws of Jonah’s suborison.