If you see petals gray as thunder, leaves red as the setting sun, you run. Always run.

These words are both a warning and a truth. Stop the Curse of the Bloodbud from coming to fruition, lest the Forsaken bring the downfall of all the Coven.

For Ellie Hallivard, these are but ancient stories within her world of poultice brewing and apple tree tending. As the eldest daughter of the Matron of the Orchard Clan, Ellie must prepare herself for leadership, all while trying to protect her younger sisters, cultivate her love of a town boy, and undermine the spirit intent on devouring her mother's soul.

Despite Ellie's best efforts, her sister defies Clan law and touches a Bloodbud; the Forsaken is brought into existence in the body of a Hallivard.

Abandoned by her family and her Clan, the Forsaken struggles to understand why she's been cast aside. Something is happening. She feels . . . different. Her tooths are sharp and smooth. Everywhere she goes, she can smell iron and daisies. And there's a spark of something like lightning in her gaze of willow moss and kindling.

The Ancestors warn Ellie of the Forsaken, instill in her the knowledge of what must be done to keep the Orchard safe. If she fails to act, her surviving family, the Orchard Clan, and the entirety of the Coven will succumb to the devastation of the Infected. Ellie can save them all with a single act.

But can she kill her sister?