At the edge of a valley conquered by a merciless foreign tyrant lies a wild forest ruled by dangerous magic. No one who strays into the north woods is ever seen again. No one, that is, except Veris Thorn. When the children of the Tyrant vanish into the woods, Veris is summoned to rescue them. Veris knows she has only one day before the creatures in the wood claim the children for their own. If she fails, the Tyrant will destroy everything she loves. Time is running short. One misstep will cost everything.