Finally, after years of being the disappointing daughter of the Guardian of the Swamp, Eshail has escaped. She's got her dream, a village to nurture, a witchery to run, and a crush on the town Herald. Except, winter has been unreasonably harsh and Lushwood is struggling. The store she runs, normally full of herbal remedies and alchemical magic, is bare. And Evelyn, the town Herald, won't give her the time of day. Everything changes when Yates, a merchant from the East arrives. The Eastern Empire's hatred of witches is widely documented, but the woman's wagon is full of the supplies the village desperately needs to outlast the winter. The price? Only the dark secret Eshail's been hiding from everyone for years. There's a chance for salvation... but at what cost?