A girl must unravel the mystery behind disappearances in her community and the arrival of a strange boy and a wild horse in this spellbinding middle grade fantasy adventure perfect for fans of Katherine Rundell and The Whisperwicks.

Thirteen-year-old Ella lives a lonely life near a remote lake where the horses that make up her familys business are also her only friends. Ever since her father went missing years before, the family household has been made up entirely of women, something thats viewed with suspicion by their neighbors, who sometimes call them witches.

Ella doesnt believe in magic, but she does know words have power. She really should have known better than to utter a wish and a joking curse on the same daya wish for a true friend and a curse on the boy bullying her little sister. Before long, the bully goes missing the same strange way her father did, and a strange boy and a beautiful black horse seemingly appear in his place. At first, the new boy seems to be the friend Ella wished for, but hes pushy, quick to anger, and knows more than he should about her family.

As Ella digs deeper into the mysterious occurrences, she discovers her family is living in the shadow of a vengeful kelpie, and she must break its curse to save not just her family but her entire community.