With her family in imminent danger, a straight-jacket looming over her shoulder, and Grace rapidly losing her humanity in the Forests, Anne thinks circumstances can't get much worse. Then she meets her loony-bin roomy, Vanessa Darling, and realizes they can get worse-much worse. While Vanessa's reputation as, "the crazy girl," seems like Anne's latest and greatest setback, she soon learns that Vanessa may be the only sane person at Transformations Treatment Center. Vanessa, whose brother befell the same fate as Grace, has taken note of the seemingly effortless way in which the sinister staff at Transformations manipulates its residents. She's also noted their smoky, mind-bending stares, hushed conversations, and suspicious activities. And when Anne meets the malevolent Doctor Mayers, who manages the Center, and sees that same inky stare that befell her dear friend Grace staring back-she realizes she's landed in a den of changeling who are all bent on covering the tracks of the Fae's many abductions, and perhaps even more disturbingly-orchestrating new ones.
Suddenly, the race to rescue Grace becomes something greater-a race to rescue not only her best friend, and her hostage-held family, but also all of the other innocent children that the Fae have set their sights on. Anne rallies her courage, her wits, and some major moxie before engaging Vanessa's help and finally escaping from the center before the good Doctor Mayers manages to steal her mind and cast her into oblivion with all of the other forgotten girls.
Now vigilantes on the run, Anne and Vanessa are pursed by the Fae with feverish tenacity, and before Anne makes it to the portal that will lead her to Grace, Vanessa is captured as Anne narrowly escapes.
Alone once again, Anne summons her last remaining dregs of courage and energy to make it to Grace's side-only to find that her friend has perished. Or has she?
