"Chilly? I'd figured you'd be used to it by now, Veronica," said a voice that was, as cliche as this sounds, much colder than I felt. I turned and saw a man towering over me. He had short charcoal hair that was dusted with gray. His skin was olive colored, and his eyes bloodshot. Whoever this was must have really loved black because that's the only color he wore from an inky cloak to scuffed, dark boots. His teeth had a yellowish tint to them that made his already malevolent, twisted smile even more disturbing. Once he saw my face, it faded slightly. "You're definitely not Veronica, are you? You appear shorter, but you certainly look like your predecessor. Excuse me for forgetting people and things change over four hundred years. They say the memory is the first thing to go. Anyway, I was hoping I would get back in time to finish her off, but I guess you will have to do, won't you Lealight?" I stood shivering-- not from the cold that was still seeping into my veins, but from the total mortification of standing face to face with Hyvecuous. I was quite sure he didn't come to meet my acquaintance. The above is an excerpt from this epic fantasy novel. It is the first of series by author Sidney McPhail about a team of teenagers living in another dimension and time. Their charge is the protection of their Village using special "talents" and magic. Will they defeat Hyvecuous (a dark force in the Universe) before he destroys their way of life? Read this exciting story to find out