Born to a family of powerful witch doctors, Arrah yearns for magic of her own. But she fails to read the bones, fails to see the future, and fails to call upon the ancestors. With each passing year, her ambitious mother looks upon her with ever-growing disapproval. There is only one thing Arrah hasn't tried. Charlatans in the market trade years of their own lives for a taste of magic without knowing how many each ritual will take. That is a sacrifice Arrah would never risk—until the Kingdom's children begin to vanish. When Arrah trades her years for the magic to catch a child snatcher, what she uncovers is even more horrifying. The Demon King, who the ancient gods imprisoned centuries ago, is stirring. If he awakens, his hunger for souls will bring Arrah's world to its knees—unless she pays the price for the magic to save it.