In a realm ruled by magic, sixteen-year-old Emily Rathburn's ability should grant her an easy life. However, born in the Commons where those without magic are banished, she's forced to steal and lie to survive.

When one of the realm's elite Masters witnesses her robbing a supply caravan, Emily is given the chance to escape-that is, if she agrees to put her magic to more law-abiding use. Desperate and friendless, she moves to Selwyn Castle, where dragons, and the best talents of the realm, are trained to rule.

Yet Selwyn's holds secrets of its own. Strange attacks and break-ins turn unwanted suspicion onto Emily, throwing her into a race to find the real criminal before she's sent back to the Commons for good. But the closer she gets to the truth, the quicker her past catches up to her. And with time running out, she'll have to return to some old tricks to make it out of Selwyn's alive.