It has been thirteen years since the mysterious fire at the Severin family manor that killed Camille's mother and twin sister, and the last thing Camille wants to do is return to her old home deep in the swamps of Louisiana. But she doesn't have a choice. Deeply ingrained family tradition and Matriarch Athalie-Camille's coldhearted aunt and head of the Severin household-demand it. When the time comes for Camille to perform the demon-summoning blood ritual that every prospective matriarch in her family must complete, she is afraid of making a mistake. Camille has practiced and practiced, but instead of the beat of demonic wings or the snap of talons, her blood calls forth evergreen vines and leaves. Terrified, she flees into the swamp. But her failed ritual gives her something precious: time away from Aunt Athalie. Time to spend with her beloved familiar Toben and kindly cousin Silvia. And-unbeknownst to her-time to fall in love, discover the truth of her magic, reunite with long lost family, work through her grief, and solve the mystery of who killed her mother and sister.
