It was going so well until Great Aunt Agatha up and died… At all of sixteen, Lisbeth Pennyroyal is the only educated member of her family, her mind set on being more than a dress- and corset-maker like her sister Rachel. She has no intention of becoming a witch like her late aunt, either. Magic, Lissy knows, is trouble any way you slice it. Then Rachel inherited that uncanny locket…. To fulfill their aunt's last wish, the sisters must travel to meet the uncle they didn't know they had, in the heart of the nation's most magical municipality. With the locket around her neck, Rachel exhibits a worrying new taste for masquerade balls and bonfires. But Lissy is determined to protect her sweet sister both from roguish dance partners and from a legendary sorceress, who might not only want Rachel's locket--but also her life. Being the smart sister has never been so tiresome.