Agnes Jaeger's life is turned upside down when she must relocate to live with her estranged aunt, Sibyl, who, up until now, has only been a character in her mother's stories. Now living in a home filled with spider webs and books so old they might crumble, she is thrown into the wolves' den of upper society.

As a mid-semester transfer at Ore Tree's Silver Leaf Academy, Agnes must adjust to her new circumstances that unfortunately include vicious bullies and strict customs she doesn't understand. To make matters worse, her aunt is obsessed with a secret but refuses to share, her classmates are disappearing, and inexplicable incidents keep happening. Can the rumors of a cult be true?

What mysteries are hiding under the polished halls of her new school?