In the ancient and mystical land of Muirwood, orphan Lia has known only a life of servitude. Labeled a “wretched,” an outcast unwanted and unworthy of respect, Lia is forbidden to read or write, and forced to work in the Abbey kitchen. Lia appears all but resigned to her fate, until opportunity arises when an injured squire named Colvin is abandoned at the kitchen’s doorstep.

Lia conspires to hide Colvin and change her life forever, but her plan becomes a perilous one when a nefarious sheriff starts a manhunt for Colvin. In the midst of a land torn by a treacherous war between a ruthless king and a rebel army, Lia finds herself on an ominous journey that will push her to wonder if her own hidden magic is enough to set things right.