Heart First Into The Forest by L.M. Gwen

Nyr lives in Kefkak, a village known for the Ringed Forest looming nearby, which brings its unspeakable horrors to its residents.With the sudden death of the local butcher, the village blames Nyr’s ten-year-old brother, Olin, saying that a malevolent spirit of the forest has possessed him.Altan, who has earned the dubious title of “The Purgesmith,” is called upon by the village to execute Olin, but Nyr won’t let that happen.She vows to stop the Purgesmith before he even sets foot in the village by any means necessary. She will not let her brother die on the whims of the villagers when she knows him to be innocent. But when Nyr and the Purgesmith finally cross paths, they will find that the death of the butcher is more complicated than it seems, revealing secrets that the villagers have long tried to keep hidden.Nyr and Altan will have to work together to uncover the truth before their pasts catch up to both of them.