Misha Millik, a hearth witch brought to Chisolm Keep by the headmaster, feels out of her depth at this magic school for the children of established magicians. Branded a misfit by the wealthy students, she finds a friend in a stray cat who can talk to her. Desperately unhappy and completely inept at any kind of magic the school teaches, she wonders why the headmaster insists she stay at the school. When she finds the horrifying answer, will her humble powers be enough to save herself and find her true place as a practicing witch?