A witch and her young ward discover a magical, walking house and learn the true meaning of home in this cozy, enchanting novel from <New York Times< bestselling author Jaleigh Johnson.

Evelyn Sharpe is accustomed to dealing with natural disasters as a land witch, but she longs for a life with a little <less< danger for her and her adopted daughter, Ruby. So when the opportunity to take over as Caretaker of Thornwood House&mdash;a sentient home that acts as the magical heart of the village of Iskendra&mdash;arises, it seems almost fated.

When they arrive in sunny Iskendra, Evie and Ruby find the house is nothing like what they expected: First of all, it has walked away from the address. Thornwood House is also grumpy, guarded, and extremely hesitant to allow the two witches through its doors.

Armed with gentle hearts and wild magic, Evie and Ruby begin to form tentative bonds with the house and the citizens of the small town. But there&rsquo;s something deeply damaged about the building seeping into the forests surrounding Iskendra, and Evie will have to use all her power to protect the roots she&rsquo;s started to grow.

Autorentext
Jaleigh Johnson lives and writes in the wilds of the Midwest. Her middle grade debut novel, The Mark of the Dragonfly, is a New York Times bestseller. Her other books from Delacorte Press include The Secrets of Solace, The Quest to the Uncharted Lands, and The Door to the Lost. She has also written fiction for Dungeons & Dragons, Marvel, and Assassin's Creed. Johnson is an avid gamer and lifelong geek.

Leseprobe
One

I must say, I find your conduct disappointing, Ms. Sharpe," said Mr. Cinton, who peered across the table at Evie with a beady-eyed stare. The chairman of the Environmental Crisis Response Agency's adoption committee had feathery white hair that reminded Evie of a messy cloud bank. Tiny wire-frame glasses perched on the tip of his thin nose. "For you to go behind our backs in this manner is disrespectful and highly irregular."

The rest of the committee, which included Mr. Tansling, the child advocate, and Mrs. Shields, the head of departmental resources, sat on either side of Cinton, their hands folded on the heavy oak table that divided them from Evie.

They were waiting for her to speak. Evie drew herself up and took a steadying breath. You can do this, she reminded herself. The wheels were already in motion. Now she just had to follow through, for herself and for Ruby.

"I apologize for any misunderstanding," Evie began, "but I fail to see how I've offered the ECRA any disrespect in this matter." She looked at each of the committee members in turn. "I've acted completely within the agency's rules in applying for a new position as caretaker of Thornwood house."

"Your position is that of an earthwalker," Mr. Cinton insisted, as if Evie could have possibly forgotten the job title she'd held for the past seven years. "The ECRA has trained you to be among the first teams on the ground in the event of a natural disaster. Your magic and expertise are put to their best use in that capacity." He waved the letter that Cinda Cartwright had sent to Evie. "Now, after the considerable amount of time and care this organization has invested in you, you've taken it upon yourself to cast it all aside in order to travel to a remote village, for no better reason than to act as a country healer and renovate a house."

"A sentient house," Evie pointed out, emphasizing the distinction. She'd spent countless late nights studying the ECRA's policies and employee regulations, at the same time poring over her own contract to look for a way to quit the agency.

There hadn't been one.

According to the terms of an agreement she'd signed when she was eighteen years old and believed in the ECRA's mission with all her naïve little heart, she was yoked to the agency for a period of not less than twenty years.

Unless.

Evie had grabbed that one little word and held on to it for dear life.

Unless she transferred to a position that directly supported the ECRA's ancillary mission of preserving and protecting magical resources throughout the world.

"According to agency records," Evie went on, "there are fewer than twenty sentient houses remaining in the world. The ECRA have made multiple public statements showing their commitment to preserving these magical phenomena."

She looked to the rest of the committee for support. Even if Cinton missed the implication of what she'd said, she hoped the others wouldn't be so obtuse. "Surely, there can be no objection to me embracing the importance of that commitment, even if it means relinquishing my current role within the agency."

"Is that what this is really about?" Mrs. Shields asked, speaking for the first time since the proceedings had begun. The older woman's silky gray hair was coiled in tight braids atop her head, woven with ribbons that set off her tawny skin. A crystal-topped cane that doubled as a wand rested near her chair.

People often said that Evie possessed a penetrating stare, that her blue eyes darkened to storm gray when she was angry. Evie thought this was an exaggeration and that the people who had made those observations had never come under the power of Mrs. Shields's sharp, assessing gaze.

"Did you apply for the position as caretaker because you truly believe in that cause," Mrs. Shields continued her questioning, "or did you do it because the committee expressed misgivings about approving the adoption of your apprentice and ward, Ruby Keeler?"

Evie's palms were sweating as she inclined her head in Mrs. Shields's direction, trying not to betray her nervousness. She couldn't afford a misstep here. "It's true, when the committee expressed their concerns regarding the dangers of my position as an earthwalker, and how that might make me an . . . undesirable candidate to adopt Ruby, I took those words to heart." Evie tried to ignore the bitter taste in her mouth.

Undesirable. They'd actually used that word.

"However," she went on, "though the committee's concerns played a part in my decision, I did not make the choice to leave lightly, and I do believe the preservation of magical phenomena like Thornwood house is of vital importance." She lifted her chin, ready to deliver the final blow. "Consider my background and family history, if you need further proof."

Her words had the desired effect. Tansling and Cinton exchanged glances, and Evie thought she detected a spark of approval in Mrs. Shields's gaze as she tapped an aqua-colored fingernail against the head of her cane. Evie didn't like invoking her family's position in the magical community. It was a part of her life she'd left behind. But for Ruby, she would use every advantage she had.

"The committee notes your words," Mrs. Shields said. She looked down the table at Mr. Tansling. "In light of these developments, would the advocate care to speak on the status of the adoption?"

The final hurdle, Evie thought, forcing herself to breathe normally. Everything she and Ruby had worked for, planned for, since Ruby had been assigned to her four years ago-all their hopes rested on Mr. Tansling's judgment.

Mr. Tansling looked to be in his late thirties, with straight, sandy hair and dark-brown eyes, impeccably dressed in a crisp gray suit and matching tie. He smiled a great deal and had an amiable air in general. Evie hadn't had as many interactions with him as Ruby had over the past several months. What stood out to her was something Ruby had observed after she'd first met the man.

"It feels like he already has the next thing he's going to say planned out, no matter what I tell him," she'd said.

Mr. Tansling shuffled some papers and glanced over at Evie with a smile that was probably intended to be kind, except it looked like he'd practiced the ex…