SAM HAAIN
Artwork © Maëva
Sam (short for Samir) is thirty-three, born in Cairo to Egyptian and Israeli parents and immigrated to Chicago when he was four, to later be raised by American foster parents. Sam has abilities but keeps his supernatural power a secret, as he enjoys the subterfuge it offers. If you want to find out what he is, read the book.
Sam is politically powerful, influential, a loudmouth, and slightly crazy in a gets-shit-done-but-in-alarming-fashion kind of way. Sam is the leader of the Paranormal Right, a paranormal supremacy group that fully and openly opposes the Institute of Supernatural Research. He doesn’t allow ‘normals’ into the group and he largely hates paranormal activists, because so many of them are normals and they also very often laud the Institute as a great place for supernatural people to hang out. Sam is incredibly paranoid and keeps a bodyguard named Muse Sagan to protect him. Though Muse is comically tiny next to him and seemingly harmless, she’s an extremely powerful telepath and incredibly clever and vicious.
Sam has no tolerance for fools. He will help people, but only if they help themselves as well. He claims himself to be ‘the smartest man in the city,’ which seems a bit of a boast, but you know what they say about it not being cocky if you back it up. He’s good at hiding and slipping under the radar. He’s also manipulative and self-serving, but that’s just part of his charm, you see.
Sam’s group has a treaty with the Secular Normalists of Chicago, or the SNC, a ‘normal’ group that opposes the Institute but also really doesn’t like supernatural people. The SNC’s ideals have changed over time as the original, much more violent leader died and his son Aaron took over. Sam and Aaron have a tentative agreement now and a common goal in wanting to bring the Institute down.
Sam originally agrees to help Jude save his brother from the Institute because he wants to use Jude as a poster boy for his cause, an example of what the Institute does to paranormal people. Sam might be a little sweet on him too, though Sam’s idea of ‘sweet’ is potentially scary.
Sam does have a few soft spots, though you might get hurt trying to find them: he’s very protective and supportive of the members in his group, and many of them adore him and attribute his help and kindness as getting them through difficult times. Also, despite being a little intimidating, Sam is not a violent man and opposes violence and killing.
Also, don’t mess with Muse.
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Jude Coffin | Micha Bellevue