When Patrina Palinski is an infant, a strange fire rips through her tiny home, miraculously leaving her untouched physically but orphaned. Rescued by a nearby neighbor, Patrina is safe-until Uncle Vlad, one of the most powerful men in Poland, shows up to claim her and take her back to his estate, where he locks her in a tower with only a nanny to teach her about life and her heritage. As Patrina nears her twelfth birthday, her simple life begins to change, and she soon finds that neither she nor those around her are who they seem. With the help of her nanny, Miriam, and the Guide, a voice that only she can hear, Patrina discovers new and secret abilities at every turn. What's more, she comes to understand her uncle's true intentions. Will she be locked away forever, doing her uncle's bidding, or get away-and possibly cause a catastrophe like her ancestors? In this fantasy novel, an orphaned girl who has been locked away from the world learns about her secret heritage and special abilities and must work to escape her power-hungry uncle.