Four Sand-Witch sisters live ona beach called "Keep Off" which they won at a poker-fest from the Grass-Witch sisters. They find a baby in a cardboard box that once contained cress, the child was named Cress Sand-Witch and raised by the four witches until they discovered that she was not what she first seemed. There are battles with council officials who want the sisters evicted, an audience with the Witch Queen that takes place on a large rock hurtling throug space to explain why the sisters have this child. Cress is a disaster at making spells and falls in love.