PROLOGUE
Edmund shivered as he followed the peculiar icy trail. Memories of the past flooded back to him, memories of a darker time. Lost in thought, he stumbled into a clearing, only to find a young maiden dancing barefoot in the moonlight. Her skin was the palest ivory, almost translucent. Her long pale blonde hair fell in slight curls below her waist. She wore a flowing silver dress, moonlight illuminating her. But something was wrong. The grass and plants surrounding where she danced were frozen and lifeless. Edmund could sense the magic radiating from her, and it felt hauntingly familiar. His hand tightened around the hilt of his sword as she did a pirouette and faced him, revealing a pair of stormy grey-blue eyes framed by thick, long lashes. As the startled girl registered his presence, Edmund instinctively drew his sword and hit her over the head with the hilt, knocking her out.
A boy. His hair was the colour of charcoal and ebony, his eyes – the colour of midnight sky. And that was all she saw as the darkness washed over her, and the nightmares dragged her down.