Prologue

13-year-old Clare Rhinehart is on the run from a group of bandits, who call themselves the Jewel Eyes. Their leader, currently, wants to get his hands on a key, now roped around Clare, to open a treasure that is said to only open on a certain day, at a certain time and year. That day is months away. Clare's best bet is go into hiding in a big city and settle down in a public school, and go on the run again until the time is right, when she approaches on the idea of something that can destroy the key...forever. But what happens if she accidentally drags along a tomboyish, yet stylish gal and a timid boy from her classes? What if there's more to the key than Clare thought? Can she save her parents in time?