How far would you go to protect the ones you love? If you had magical ability, would you do whatever you could to get what you wanted? These are some of the questions that seventeen-year-old Hale has to consider.
Tasked with mentoring Frayda, his young cousin who is gifted in magic, Hale is determined to teach her to use her gifts for good, and not for selfish gain, as selfish motives lead to Dark Magic. In spite of their best efforts, they are ambushed one night by an indescribable evil that seems to be devoid of life and yet maliciously intelligent. It is as surprised by them as they are by it, and through perseverance, rather than skill, Hale and Frayda manage to force it back into the magical dimensions it seems to inhabit.
Their new adversary, which they call the Empty Darkness, learns from each encounter, as do Hale and Frayda. Weeks later, when Hale and Frayda encounter the Empty Darkness during a routine house call for the King's youngest daughter, all seems to go well. Why, then, shortly thereafter, does the entire Royal Family, who are already wealthy and powerful, go to such great lengths to try to turn Hale and Frayda into practitioners of Dark Magic?
What's more, for the first time in his life, Hale finds himself forming a relationship with a girl who seems to care about him as much as he cares about her, but she is cursed by a magical spell that will likely split them apart. How far should he go to try to break the curse in order to keep the girl of his dreams?
(recommended for ages 12 and up. 240,000 words)
