Prologue
The Hall of Prophecy was cold; very cold. The Night Riders breath came out between parched lips in a curdled white mist that stroked his cheekbones as it died. Towering shelves covered in old dusty glass orbs groaned in the hall. Flames licked at blackness and hissed in their metal prisons as they came to life. His footfalls slowed on the marble flooring as the shelf he had been hunting for came into sight. His tongue felt heavy in his dry mouth, his breathing stilled as he grasped the orb from its the dust from its icy surface a small but detectable smile formed upon his lips cracking the skin causing blood to drip silently.
Meanwhile, a family were sat contented in their small farmhouse on the outskirts of Shrewsbury. There lounge was lit by a small lamp casting a soft glow onto the six year olds golden hair as she lay fast asleep in her father's lap. The mother had a hand in a cot on the other side of the room as a baby no more than six months of age slept peacefully. The father and mother smiled at one another across the room, contented. Sleep was taking them and their eyes began to drop when all of a sudden the room was woken by frantic knocking at the large wooden door.
"Hold on," the man shouted cautiously drawing his wand. He clenched his fist in anticipation, for if this is what they had been waiting for then he prayed it be quick.
"Hurry up, for Merlin's sake!" A familiar voice whispered from the other side of the door. The man visibly relaxed and hurried to open it. A woman rushed inside her cloak hugging her legs.
"Connie? Is that you?" the man's wife asked; tilting her head around the door.
"Yes it's just me," the woman- Connie- called back. Her brown hair was twirled into an unruly mess to the side of her face as she breathed heavily in the hallway. She hadn't come to chat and she moved with the ease of a predator into the lounge.
"What's happened?" the man asked running a hand across the stubble forming on the lower half of his face.
"They've found it. They know; they are coming. You have to move."
"But...but the children," the mother stammered instinctively picking up the baby into her arms.
"You knew this was only a temporary solution, we told you," Connie pleaded her large brown eyes begging with the couple to understand.
"We aren't afraid." He held his wand more firmly in his grip as he spoke these words.
"No one doubts your courage. You agreed! You knew the price. We need you to fight when the time is right," Connie argued her voice rising in despair.
"And our children need us here," the mother argued, her voice faltered as her baby stirred in her hands.
"You will be no use to them dead and they will be no use to anyone once the Riders get them. They know it is them, they have seen it."
The room was silent then. The lovers stared at one another until a deep understanding passed between them.
"We know what we have to do," said the man gravely.
Street lights flashed and buzzed above the deserted street as the mother dragged her six year old daughter behind her.
"Mum, what's going on? Where are we going?" she asked her other small hand brushing strands of golden hair from her face.
"Shhhh, it's ok, you will be safe," the mother repeated once again to her daughter. She grabbed her hand tighter as she picked up the pace; her other daughter clutched in the cradle of her arm still fast asleep.
"Where's Dad?" the eldest asked once again tears pricking the corners of her elm green eyes, "I want Dad."
"Hush, please." The mother begged her eyes darting once more into the shadows. Lights finally came into sight and she felt her heart constrict as she pulled her eldest daughter to a stop in front of her. Gathering her own emotions and brushing tears from her own eyes she bent down, level with her daughter.
"I...," her throat closed over and she could feel her heart being ripped in her chest as she opened them once more to stare into her daughters ever trusting eyes. She tried again.
"I need you to keep your sister safe now. I need you to look after her and remember that family comes first no matter what. Ok?"
"Ok," the little girl whispered wiping a tear from her eye "I'm not crying," she lied "Don't tell Dad I cried, I promised I'd be brave," she sobbed her chest beating up and down.
"Oh you are brave, so very brave. Now remember, you are kind, you are special and"
"You are loved." The little girl finished the sentence that had so often been said to her every night and then watched as her mother pulled out her wand and whispered obliviate casting a green light to haze the edges of her mind and draw out all she once knew.