The Old City lay dark and cold ... It is night. And Edmund is alone. His mother is gone. His aunt, who went in search of her, is dead. His sister has disappeared. Edmund has no one. Except for a stranger of the night. A dark, mysterious stranger who flees from his own demons ... who follows Edmund with grim determination through the cold and shadow city, promising to help, but often hindering. A stranger who needs Edmund for purpose of his own. "The writing is that of a true master ... a thought-provoking novel that combines mystery with historical fiction."—Children's Book Review Service