Prologue

He was there again. He had been there every day for the past few weeks, sitting quietly across the way, a book held up to his face. But even behind the book, she could see those eyes. There was one deep brown eye that a woman could drown in on the right side, but on the left side, there was an icy blue, like the color of a winter sky in December. The man's hair was blonde, very, very blonde, with a few wisps resting gently against his periwinkle eye. It was cut short, falling just slightly past the man's ears, and several pieces of it covered his ears, making the woman think, once again, that the man wasn't a human. There was something very peculiar about him.

The brown and blue eyes glanced up, gazing steadfastly into his watcher's green eyes, and the woman looked down, her cheeks turning slightly pink, to read her book. The Goblin King, in the book she read, had mysterious mismatched eyes and blonde hair, but the man before her couldn't have been him. That was impossible because the story was just that, a story.

Lorena sighed and shook her head, focusing her attention back on her book again. It was a glorious spring day, and the park had never been more beautiful. The woman sat on a bench, her long brown hair blowing softly in the breeze, down and loose, for once, instead of in its usual French twist. She was surrounded by flowers, and before her, in the center of this small sanctuary, was a water fountain. Separated from her by the fountain, was the mysterious man. The air smelled of newborn flowers, and the sky was clear and peaceful.

The man had never spoken to Lorena, never even showed he was remotely interested, at least, not intentionally. Whenever the beautiful woman's eyes turned to her book, she could feel him gazing at her. She didn't see his eyes search her face, marveling at the innocence that was there, at the pure, undefiled beauty. She didn't see the mismatched orbs linger on her lips, red and untouched; at her dainty nose, so small and refined; or at her eyes, those piercing green eyes that could look so gentle one moment and so fierce the next, depending on what she was reading.

There was a faint rustle of fabric, and Lorena glanced up from her book to see the man standing, putting his book under his arm as he did so. He yawned and then smiled and waved slightly at her. His smile was infectious, and Lorena smiled back. She watched as the man walked towards her, still smiling and trying to look friendly.

"Hello," Lorena spoke first, noting the man's dark blue jeans and black shirt as he approached her.

"Hello," the man smiled, stopping before her. To the woman's utmost surprise, he bowed slightly and then stood up straight again. "I have seen you reading for the past couple of weeks," the man spoke, his voice soothing and kind. "May I ask what series of books you have been reading that is so fascinating?"

"It is a trilogy," Lorena answered. "It's the Labyrinth Trilogy. Have you read it before?"

"I'm afraid not," the man said, shaking his head. "They must be very good, to keep you so entranced."

Entranced? Now there was a word Lorena hadn't heard in awhile.

"Yes," she nodded. "They are excellent. Are you…new to this area of New York? Before a few days ago, I had never seen you."

"I'm fairly new," the man smiled.

He glanced to the side suddenly, as though someone was calling his name, and then smiled at Lorena.

"I do believe I must be going," he said and then drew back from her, his hair brushing against his eyes from the wind. "It was a pleasure speaking with you."

Lorena watched as the man turned and walked away, making his way towards one of the many paths in Central Park. She looked down at her book, struggling to read as the man invaded her thoughts, but had she looked up, she would have seen that quite suddenly, the man disappeared. He took a few steps onto a path and then, quite simply, vanished.