Princess Shiori'anma has a secret : forbidden magic runs in her vein. Until she loses control on the morning of her unwanted betrothal, and it is discovered by her stepmother, Raikama.

Raikama banishes Shiori, transforming her brothers into cranes, warning her that she must speak of it to no one : for with every word that escapes her lips, one of her brothers will die.

But as Shiori searches for her brothers, she uncovers a dark conspiracy to seize the throne. To save her kingdom, she must place her trust in a paper bird, a mercurial dragon, and the boy she fought so hard not to marry. And she must embrace the magic she's been taught all her life to contain - non matter what it costs