Set in the Fens during the Civil War of the 1640's, this novella is both a horror story and an exploration of magic. When the narrator's abusive father sells her to a stranger, a new exciting world opens to her. For her master is Reynauld Sely: alchemist, historian, possessor of arcane knowledge and member of a Guild whose quest is the pursuit of Truth. Yet while he is willing to share his knowledge, he has a secret and dangerous purpose. And in a time when the boundaries between science and magic are poorly defined, both may be interpreted as witchcraft.

For adult readers.