Being a parent isn’t easy. Zoe Lake-Winters knew that before she took on the job, but twelve years after giving birth – a legendary event that she’s still talking about (with only minimal complaint … most of the time) – she’s still getting used to not being the most immature person in the room. Sami Winters is every mother’s dream – if every mother’s dream includes an eye-rolling snark factory who is desperate to fit into a snotty tween world, that is. Still, Zoe and her husband Aric do their best in a difficult world. Of course, being the most powerful mage in the Midwest only adds to the problems, and when someone starts hijacking Sami’s dreams on the eve of her birthday, Zoe finds herself in the middle of a paranormal mess. Shades haunt the woods surrounding the Winters house, and they share a goal: Getting Sami past her parents’ impressive defenses and luring a defenseless child into the wilderness so they can harness her burgeoning powers. Zoe will do anything to protect her only child, but when the face of evil finally reveals itself, she finds the dangers of the past threatening her happy future. Can Zoe and Aric keep their only child safe? And, more importantly, as Sami comes of age, will she prove to be stronger than either of her parents ever envisioned? Only time will tell, and the day of reckoning is finally here.