The only life Santha Lathagin has ever known has become her prison. Vicious gossip is everywhere. Whispers of a scandal have turned to accusations of murder, and fingers are pointing her way. Feeling powerless and alone, she yearns for escape. When Santha stumbles upon a small, rusted key in the forest near her home, it seems her silent pleas have been answered. Awakened by her touch, the key demands to be heard-and she is not the only one to heed its call. Thrust into a world only glimpsed in the stories of her childhood - of faeries and princes and eldritch magick - Santha sets out to unlock its secrets. But uncovering the truth has its own perils, and as the key's influence grows, she will be left with a choice: survival or sacrifice. But will it truly be hers to make? ... All the while, in the north, something ancient stirs. A great power that could unravel the very threads of existence.