Never in my sixteen years of life had I believed in things unseen until that day. I had never created an imaginary friend as a child or believed in ghosts or the work of angels. But on that cold December afternoon, everything I knew went up in a gray cloud of smoke. The rabbit was pure white, even its nose. The only colour anywhere was the fantastically bright, sparkling blue of its eyes. I jumped in surprise when the still haze erupted into a volcanic blanket of white flakes, littering the end of the street and temporarily eating a streetlamp before it calmed.

A furry white creature grinned up at me, its long ears folding out from behind the crown of cotton atop its head. Antique streetlamps illuminated downtown, prismed in every direction like hovering confetti. Carols blared from the speakers of a newspaper stand whose buzz-like radio sound muddied the familiar melody of Jingle Bells and swallowed most of the other noise in the street. Buildings hosted glassy bouquets of scarlet, green, and gold ornaments, but it was difficult to enjoy the splendour of the season in this bitter flash-freeze.He studied me the way someone might admire a new animal at the zoo; tilting his head in what was either boredom or bland curiosity. After a moment, he raised his hand in what might have been a greeting, but not one I knew. Still though, to be polite, I lifted my hand as well and performed an awkward wave. People moved on by as though they hadn’t heard it, chatting and pushing their way through the rush hour crowd. The Chronicles of Narnia meets Harry Potter. This fantastic winter tale is the perfect blend of classic portal fantasy and the magical world co-existing with our own. This magical Christian fantasy adventure totally hits the spot and got everything right. It is a beautiful reminder of what is truly important in life." ( USA Today best-selling author Astrid V. J.)

I didn’t go in right away; I stole a look around and swallowed, worried I’d been followed. But I saw nothing—nothing but regular vehicles, regular lampposts, regular pine trees covered in regular snow. A hand emerged to pull the scarf down, revealing the distinct face of a girl who looked younger than I’d assumed. Despite her ruggedness, she had a soft mouth. I approached sluggishly to keep it from springing away, and I crouched to study the specimen while my mind raced with explanations based on things I’d read in books. I lifted my mitten but before I could ask what the rush was about, the girl shoved something into my palm: a glass ball about the size of a tennis ball. I had only one memory of my father chasing us into an ocean of snow so unblemished. My sister Kaley was just a baby, and my brother Winston and I could barely run on our toddler legs. After Winston and I had exhausted ourselves building forts, my mother had brewed hot chocolate on the stove, and we’d spent the day listening to my dad sing off-key Christmas carols while decorating the tree with popcorn we’d strung ourselves.

About this book

Past their rippling current, I noticed a store wedged between a luxury clothing boutique I could never afford to shop in and a barber shop. The new store fit like a puzzle piece, nestled snugly into the alley between the two buildings. Are you alright, Trite? she asked again in a pressing tone that made me think she had somewhere to be. Her accent wasn’t one I recognized. Pour your coffee, add your milk, splat a puff of whipped cream on top, and toss a pinch of sprinkles on top of it all. I hesitated, studying the vintage sign and eyeing the splinters of wood that seemed to have flaked off the storefront into brittle piles over time. It wasn’t an eye-catching place, but still, I was sure it wasn’t here a moment ago, which didn’t make sense because the store wasn’t newly built; all the evidence said as much. The Quarrel of Sword and Bone was a death sentence for anyone who stepped into the arena with the deranged Queen, whose soul had crisped to frost in an age long since past.

I smooshed my face against the window, my hands cupping around my eyes to see where he went. But beyond where the boy had been, two dozen beings of unnatural height congregated around tables, hunching to fit beneath the ceiling. The sight sent a barrel of heat rolling through my stomach. Pointy ears and long noses protruded from their heads, hidden only when they sipped from their steaming mugs. Some of them had to be as tall as the lampposts outside.My father used to roll his eyes at Sylvia’s collections and had always found excuses to leave the room to avoid my aunt. It was one of the memories that came easily in this house. I had to drop it. I would drop the glass ball on the sidewalk and leave. And I would never, ever think about this moment again; the moment I realized I was losing my mind. Chapter, The Second I rubbed my eyes, questioning what in the world was going on with me when a Toooot! blasted through the space, bringing a startled scream from my throat. Alarmed customers stared, taking in my dripping wet coat and soggy-butt pants. My heart pounded as I looked both ways down the street, wondering if maybe a theatre performance had just ended at the Centre in the Square in Kitchener and the whole cast had come here in costume. As though summoned by the girl’s lunacy, a horn-like blast echoed down the city street, and I whipped around in alarm.