The elders had little patience for her. She was an orphan, the only surviving member of her branch after her parents died under mysterious circumstances. Instead of being cared for, Sharon was made head of her small branch. It wasn't a position of power or honor—it was a burden. At ten years old, she was responsible for maintaining what little influence her family still had, and the Blackthorn main family had made it abundantly clear that she was on her own.