What happens when a class assignment becomes a war of magic versus free will? When Roland's teacher gives him an unusual assignment instead of a punishment for shoplifting, he thinks he is home free. All he has to do is find out what he can about a classmate, Jess Ferret, and report back to his teacher. But there is something less than straightforward about this request, and the more Roland learns about Jess, the more confused he becomes. Her house is too tidy, her parents are never home, strange books line the bookshelves, and, most intriguing of all, Jess is studying alchemy.

Roland struggles with these questions -- and with a sense that if he doesn't uncover the answers soon, something drastic will happen. When a sinister magician from Roland's past gets involved in the mystery, Roland realizes that he is trapped in a dangerous web of magic, power, and greed -- and there might be no way out.