Hardened and friendless, Wynn is approached by Phillip, a tall, dark and clumsy stranger who claims she is destined to become apprentice to an ancient prophet who dwells in a forest filled with extraordinary creatures. If she accepts this proposition, she is to be trained to follow in the prophet's footsteps, not only moving in supernatural power but seeing into the time that has been and is to come. Yet, not all is as it seems when she arrives at the cabin that is "ever so slightly alive," where the fireplace lights itself and a vanishing door leads to other worlds. But it is Maera of the Wood Beguiling and her Secret Circle of Southern Sorcerers that has Wynn anxious for the safety of those she is coming to love. As danger arises, she must discover a means to step into the fullness of her abilities or see her new life destroyed by a sinister, age-old enemy who's been preparing for decades.