Prologue:

She walked up the path, carefully being quiet even though the village was almost a mile away and everyone thought she was sleeping. The gate was no more than five feet away and she felt anticipation coil in her stomach. She walked the final length and took a deep breath.

She grabbed the handle with both hands, using her weight to turn the rusted handle. Then the gate swung open by itself and she was staring into the most beautiful garden she had ever seen. The moonlight was brighter in there, illuminating the deep purples and blues. The garden was a tangle of vines and flowers but in the very center she could see one tree stand over the rest. Its leaves were silver and suddenly she just had to go see it. She stepped into the garden.

“Gemma,” a voice called her name from the outside just as the gate swung shut and locked behind her.