Meg Lytton has always been aware of her dark and powerful gift. Raised as a student of the old magic by her aunt Jane, her ability to cast circles to see visions of the future and to concoct spells from herbs and bones is as natural to Meg as breathing. However, this is the most dangerous time to practice her art, as it is 1554 and the punishment for any woman labeled a witch is the gallows or the pyre.

In the ruins of the isolated palace of Woodstock, to serve the disillusioned Elizabeth, daughter of Henry VIII and half-sister of Queen Mary, Meg discovers that her abilities intrigue the exiled princess, who is desperate to know if she will ever claim the throne. But Meg's existence becomes increasingly perilous each day, with the constant threat of exposure from the ruthless witch hunter Marcus Dent, and the arrival of a young Spanish priest, Alejandro de Castillo, to whom Meg feels irresistibly drawn, despite his very different attitudes towards her secret.

Exciting and fast-paced, this is the first irresistible tale in a captivating new series.