Caolyn is named for the goddess of wishes. She never knew her mother, who died, shortly after she was born. She has been fostered to the House of Maidens, where she is learning to be a wise woman, as was her mother. She makes a wish for her best friend Brenna, but because she has not perfected her studies; the wish goes terribly wrong. Caolyn must figure out a way to correct the wish, and mend the disruptions that she has caused. With the help of her "Auntie" she learns to have trust in herself. She has lived with a void in her heart, lacking a family, but along the way to learning about her own strength, she finds where she fits in the world.