The Gates of Solstice have opened, but while the Shailmas have summoned the Travelers, King Shrailzhar, too, has gathered his warriors. The King has finally found the portal gate and set a mystifying trap to keep the curse breakers out of his dark land. Getting into Trilleah will test the strength of Judah, Jennifer, and the others; getting back out will require a part of themselves they might not be willing to give.

Caught in a Labyrinth that even the Living Maps overlooked, this might be as far as the Travelers ever get to breaking the curse of Malleana Forest. Once trapped in...

This journey might very well be the Elliot twins' last. With King Shrailzhar's Armies chanting, "Jennifer must fall, never again to rise," and flying savages that keep circling Asphelia's Hollow, it would seem that the traps and snares might finally be too much to overcome ... even for them.

Perhaps, this is the reason that the sun has veiled itself; it cannot bear to look upon the demise of the Travelers. Surely, the moon knows a secret that can only be whispered in the great drops of blood that it throws down.

If Jennifer can be dragged into the Adder's pit, even while the...

Since there was not to be a journey to Trilleah for this Winter's Solstice, Bella and the Twins made marvelous plans to instead, spend that time visiting the other Travelers at Matt's lake house. It seems Bella enjoyed spending time with Matt more than the others knew. However, when Kaija Mae shows up unannounced and tells of the goings-on in the Dark Land--of the King's instructions to destroy Trilleah before the Travelers could find the last of the clay tablets--it's clear there is no time to waste

Straightaway, the Shailmas whisk their riders back to Trilleah where the Travelers...

She'd made her Shailma so small--so small indeed--when in fact, he was bigger than anything she could think of ... or ponder ... or consider ... or understand. Her mind could not grasp just how big Simeon was. He knew all things and was aware of all things; he was everywhere at all times.

Jennifer had no need to worry or fear or be concerned, yet she was all of those things. The oddest of all was that Simeon knew that his little one had found a new understanding of his bigness and that even though she was horribly afraid, she would keep going--not because of who she was, but because...

"TAKE ME," he wanted to scream. "LEAVE HER ... PLEASE TAKE ME "

Judah begged Shemaiah to let him take Jennifer's place, but he knew it wouldn't be so. From the first moment that his twin sister had stepped foot in this dreadful land, Judah knew this moment would come. He didn't realize it until right now, but as they were running, Judah pulling his sister and keeping her on her feet, he suddenly knew in his heart that everything right up to this very moment was to prepare him to release Jennifer into the hands of King Shrailzhar.

The boy wanted to peel off...