A special middle-grade debut of magic and courage in a world of witches, written with the charm and enchantment of books like Circus Mirandus and The Apothecary. Will Arianwyn ever become a real witch? Arianwyn has flunked her witch's assessment: She knows she's doomed. Declared an apprentice and sent to the town of Lull in disgrace, Arianwyn may never become a real witch like everyone else -- much to the glee of her archrival, Gimma. But the remote Lull is not as boring as it seems. Strange things are being sighted in the woods, and a dangerous infestation of hex creeps throughout the town. Then the worst thing Arianwyn can imagine arrives in Lull: Gimma turns up on vacation determined to make her life miserable. Despite being a little over her head, Arianwyn starts to get the hang of being a witch, even if she's only an apprentice. But there's one thing she's wrong about: The worst is still to come. For a mysterious darkness has begun to haunt her spells, and there may be much more at stake than just her pride . . .