"We always think we will have more time... and then it runs out..." Vera Norton is only a young girl when her ancient friend and neighbor, Lillian Thompson, dies, leaving her emotionally wounded and incredibly vulnerable. With little parental supervision and a brother who couldn't be more opposite of her in every way, Vera is left reeling and spending a lot of time with the one permanent figure in her life, a large oak tree at the center of the Thompson gardens, a tree that is at the epicenter of Vera's world. However, when Lillian's strange sister, Elizabeth, moves into the Thompson house next door and takes over the property, the curious and horrific really take hold. This then catapults Vera into an adult life of magic and mystery, love and dangerous obsession, ghostly encounters and supernatural apparitions, curses and spells. Can Vera reclaim the life she knew and the tree she loved, an odd tree that is central to her existence? Can Vera override a Fate that stalks her and stares at her with red ember eyes, a Fate that seems determined to destroy her? Can a curse be broken and age-old spells unbound'...