Arianwyn has flunked her witch's assessment: she's doomed. Declared an apprentice and sent to the town of Lull in disgrace, she may never become a real witch – much to the glee of her arch-enemy, Gimma. But remote Lull is not as boring as it seems. Strange things are sighted in the woods, a dangerous infestation of hex creeps throughout the town and a mysterious magical visitor arrives with his eye on her. With every spirit banished, creature helped and spell cast, Arianwyn starts to get the hang of being a witch – even if she's only an apprentice. But the worst still lies ahead. For a sinister darkness has begun to haunt her spells, and there may be much more at stake than just her pride ... for Arianwyn and the entire land.