Prologue

Not for the first time, Ryan woke with a jolt in the middle of the night. He'd had that dream again. It had been the same one for several years and he had endured many a sleepless night because of it. For him, though, it was more than just a dream; it was a memory, one that he would give anything to forget. Ryan looked over to his left and reached out his hand, seeking the comforting warmth of his wife Julianne, a hope that was short-lived when all he felt was an empty space beside him. He berated himself for his foolishness and for making the mistake of trying to deny the loss of a loved one yet again. The only way he would be able to see Julianne again was if he died, an option which, although certainly inevitable, he intended to avoid for as long as nature would permit.

Ryan sighed and rubbed his eyes. For a brief moment, the sight that plagued his dreams filled his vision: the bloodcurdling scream of a heartbroken woman, a dark hooded creature darting in like a dog to snatch anything that took its fancy, a child crying its eyes out as it was carried off by the creature. He forced his eyes back open at once.

Laying down on the bed, he attempted to get back to sleep but, after a few minutes of tossing and turning, he realised that his attempts were futile. He gently slipped out of bed and made his way downstairs into the parlour of his home, his feet creaking on the floorboards. The parlour was a cosy little room at the front of his house. It was plainly furnished with a sofa, two chairs, a rug on the floor and a fire blazing under the mantelpiece.

On the mantelpiece sat a small silver frame, roughly the same size as a book. Ryan picked it up and examined it closely as he had done many times before. The frame held a painting of him and Julianne. In her arms, Julianne held their baby daughter Raven. She had been born exactly one year after their marriage. As soon as Raven was born, both parents agreed that she was the most beautiful child who ever lived. Raven had inherited her mother's periwinkle eyes and her father's ebony hair which had been the main inspiration for her name. She also had a birthmark on her left arm in the shape of a heart.

Tears filled Ryan's eyes as he realised this painting was the only existing memory he had of his wife and daughter. Raven had been stolen from them fifteen years ago and Julianne…well, a loss as terrible as that would be too much for any mother to cope with. Anger coursed through Ryan's veins as his thoughts strayed to the person, no, monster, who had taken what was more precious to him than anything else in the world. But no amount of anger could compare with the guilt he felt, knowing that he was partly to blame. He had promised his wife that he would take care of their daughter and he had failed her. What kind of father was he?

"I'm so sorry, Julianne" Ryan whispered to the air. "I let this happen. I'm so, so sorry. How could anyone take a child away from its mother like that? Who could be so cruel? If only I could find the wretch that had taken our daughter, I would make them suffer the same way you did. Mark my words, when their time comes, they will suffer!"