Charlotte of Capthian has only known hardship. It's not easy being the only daughter of a widowed healer, but when her mother's chronic illness takes a turn for the worse, her mother tells her there's a tree root five days' journey south. Eager to cure her mother, Charlotte's willing to make the journey alone, but then the five sons of Bartow the trapper insist Charlotte let them escort her while checking their traps. It's the ideal solution, only there's one problem: she likes all five of the brothers. How will she keep her feelings to herself?

Soon they happen upon an abandoned temple in the mountains where a goddess appears and tells Charlotte that she's the Heiress of Darkness. She has a part to play in the rebirth of magic, and she has five days to get to the temple in Pereta . . . or she will die.

Oh, and there's one small catch. She must sleep with all five brothers to bring her five elements of magic to life . . . or she dies.

Contains mature themes.