Though Sydelle has dreamt of escaping her home, she's hurt that her parents relinquish her so freely and finds herself awed and afraid of the slightly ragtag wizard who is unlike any of the men of magic in the tales she's heard. He chooses the village elder's daughter, sixteen-year-old Sydelle Mirabel, who is a skilled weaver and has an unusual knack for repairing his magical cloaks. She also learns that her blood may actually be an ingredient important in creating the cure for North's curse.When Wayland North brings rain to a region that's been dry for over ten years, he's promised anything he'd like as a reward. She learns that her magic is unstable and for that reason, people like her are called “jinxes”. North tries to assure his mother that he has put a “lock” on her powers so that she's no danger but the Imperial Sorceress is unconvinced. She hears them saying that she might be a very powerful sorceress – capable of creating natural disasters like earthquakes. While she is staying at the castle, she overhears North and his mother having an argument about her. North is disgusted with his mother as he understands that she is taking advantage of the youth and naivety of the Queen to essentially rule Palmarta. Sydelle is appalled that Hecate doesn't care enough about her little village of Cliffton to stop the impending war. Hecate doesn't believe North when he tells her that Reuel is behind the imminent war.

In Provincia, Sydelle discovers that North's mother is none other than the Imperial Sorceress, Hecate. North explains that Reuel is one of the few men who are in league with the hedge witches who rogue magic users shunned by the wizarding community. He tells her that they're likely being tracked at the moment as Reuel uses things like beetles that can sense magic to alert him of their whereabouts. North would have killed Reuel if he had the chance. North explains that the man who threw the powder is Reuel Dorwan, and has been tracking North for a while. To escape, North uses more magic to transport them far away – a skill called “twisting”. A few moments later, yet another wizard decides to prove how powerful he is by blowing a blue powder on everyone that makes everyone face their worst nightmare.

North wins the duel by punching the other wizard in the face. Upon finding out that North is a wizard, too, he challenges him to a duel. When they enter a nearby village, she is accosted by a man named who claims to be a wizard.

Sydelle is mad that North won't use his magic to somehow save her village – something North thinks is unreasonable.

Brightly Woven by Alexandra Bracken