Chapter One
Kiryli brushed a stray strand of jet black hair out of her eyes and gazed at the book lying on the ground in front of her. Kesael sat next to her, bearing a remarkable resemblance to his twin sister, spare his short curly hair. There was a slight breeze, just enough to ripple the grass and displace Kiryli's hair. The page she was reading turned, seemingly of its own accord, she reached out a hand to stop it closing upon the page before it, but it was too late. She turned the page back, but the words were not the same, for this was the Book of the Dead.
She knew this would happen of course, their mother, Lirael, had told them about it when she gave them the book as a birthday present. It had been a shared birthday present, as they were twins and had the same birthday this wasn't a rare occurrence, and since there was no indication of which one was to be the next Abhorsen it couldn't have been given as an individual gift, so a shared present it remained.
She sighed, she knew she could get back to the information she had been reading, but the air was so nice, and the sun so inviting that there was no use trying to focus her attention back on studying. Kesael, seemingly sensing his sister's thoughts closed the Book.
Kiryli stood up, she brushed some non-existent dirt from her skirt and picked up the Book, beginning the same process of cleaning she had subjected her skirt to. Kesael stood up as well, unintentionally brushed at his pants and looked off in the direction of the river. Kiryli had started towards the house, Book in hand, drifting dreamily under the spell of the warm spring afternoon. They both froze, however, when they heard footsteps coming in from the stepping stones.
Kiryli brushed a stray strand of jet black hair out of her eyes and gazed at the book lying on the ground in front of her. Kesael sat next to her, bearing a remarkable resemblance to his twin sister, spare his short curly hair. There was a slight breeze, just enough to ripple the grass and displace Kiryli's hair. The page she was reading turned, seemingly of its own accord, she reached out a hand to stop it closing upon the page before it, but it was too late. She turned the page back, but the words were not the same, for this was the Book of the Dead.
She knew this would happen of course, their mother, Lirael, had told them about it when she gave them the book as a birthday present. It had been a shared birthday present, as they were twins and had the same birthday this wasn't a rare occurrence, and since there was no indication of which one was to be the next Abhorsen it couldn't have been given as an individual gift, so a shared present it remained.
She sighed, she knew she could get back to the information she had been reading, but the air was so nice, and the sun so inviting that there was no use trying to focus her attention back on studying. Kesael, seemingly sensing his sister's thoughts closed the Book.
Kiryli stood up, she brushed some non-existent dirt from her skirt and picked up the Book, beginning the same process of cleaning she had subjected her skirt to. Kesael stood up as well, unintentionally brushed at his pants and looked off in the direction of the river. Kiryli had started towards the house, Book in hand, drifting dreamily under the spell of the warm spring afternoon. They both froze, however, when they heard footsteps coming in from the stepping stones.