One of the youngest students training to become a Scholar in the Order of the Flame, misfit, thirteen-year-old Ara hails from a long line of healers who practice the old magic—healing with their hands, hearts and plants. But the professors at the Citadel favor the new magic—a blend of psychic power and technology—and Ara's intuitive powers begin to land her in trouble.

When the Citadel's Sacred Flame—lit from the wood of the mythical World Tree, Earth's only connection to the stars—is replaced by fakery, Ara knows that its Keeper is hiding a dark secret. She is tasked by the Flame's ancient guardian with locating a seed that will rekindle its light.

Guided by two unusual insects, Ara enters the forest in search of an exiled Scholar who can lead her to the World Tree. Immersed in a world of elementals, mythical creatures, and portals in trees, Ara quickly learns that she's not the only one racing to the World Tree—and something far more sinister than a Shadow Storm is hunting her.