Chapter 1

Marin walked into the wind and felt it gently push back. A few more steps and shed be at
the edge of the cliff. Her focus was on the thistle, the prickly green plants that crunched
beneath her feet. What would happen to these plants during the years of Night? Would
they wither and die, or would they simply lie dormant, waiting for the first rays of sun to
peek up from the horizon? She had asked those who had been through this before, but
they refused to discuss it. No one talked about the Night, even though it was almost upon
them.
She stopped near the precipice. The water below was dark, almost black, and it
stretched everywhere, like a liquid version of the sky. In the last year, as the sun had
begun its final descent, the water had gone from blue-green to iridescent blue, and from
there it grew steadily darker. A hint of its fluorescence remained, but now it provoked a
shiver instead of a smile.
Marin took a deep breath of the cold sea air. When the sun vanished, it would get
even colder. Everything would freezeat least thats what people at school said. In any
case, by the time that happened, shed be long gone, along with everyone else in Bliss.
Only the buildings would remain, silent and empty, entombed in ice.
The wind flung Marins wavy black hair into her face. She was smaller than other
girls her age, but not petite. Her arms and legs were long and well-muscled, the product

of years spent climbing, hiking, and sailing. She had honey-colored eyes, long lashes, and
bronze skina striking combination, which she inherited from her mother. Her clothing,
however, was plain and purely functional: waxed canvas pants, a raw denim shirt, and
leather boots.
Has the tide turned yet?
Marin spun around upon hearing the unexpected voice. She had been waiting for her
friend Line, but instead she saw Palana frail man with paper-thin skin and a bald head
marked with brown sunspots. Palan had lived through several Mornings and his skin bore
the proof. His cobalt-blue robe rippled in the wind, revealing a left arm that ended in a
stump just above the wrist.
Im not sure about the tide, Marin replied. What do you think?
The old man faced Marin, his watery eyes gazing past her, into the distance. This is
my fourth Evening, he said quietly. He shivered and tightened the heavy wool scarf
around his neck. The sun seems to be moving faster and faster with the years.
Marin followed his gaze. The sun was very low. It was four-fifths down and only a
sliver remained above the horizon. The entire western sky was ablaze in magnificent
shades of orange and red. A few degrees more and the sun would vanish completely,
plunging the island into darkness for the next fourteen years. They said this would
happen soon, perhaps in a matter of days. It sounded a bit like the end of the world to
Marin, and she still found it hard to believe.
The wind turned soft and Palan sighed. It saddens me that I will never see this place

again. When I leave hereI expect I wont return.

Marin reached out and touched his arm. The old man turned away from the sea, back
toward the islands interior, and grasped her hand tightly. Ive heard movement in the
forest, he whispered.
What do you mean? asked Marin.
Palan gripped her hand tighter but did not reply.
A muffled shout rang in the distance.
MARIN!
They turned around and watched a teenage boy moving toward them. It was Line. If
Palan hadnt been there, she would have run to him, but now she just waved back.
When he arrived, Line appeared slightly confused. Palan watched them appraisingly,
then smiled.
Lines dark brown eyes twinkled as he regarded Marin. He was handsome in the way
that few boys of fourteen are. He was tall and broad-shouldered, with an unkempt shock
of reddish-brown hair, high cheekbones, and a cleft chin.
Elder Palan, said Line. Any news of the boats? A gust of wind pressed his curly
hair flat against his head.
Palan straightened, as if the use of the honorificElderreminded him of his role
and station. Sorry, my boy, Ive heard nothing of the boats, said Palan. But I am not
here for that. ComeIll show you.
He approached the cliffs edge and pointed downward. Marin and Line followed

close behind him and peered over the precipice. The face of the cliff was shrouded in
shadow, but they could make out several thick, luminescent, white veins coming out of
the cliff and running down its side, like a hardened trail of wax from a giant candle.
Its ice, said Palan. It was colder at the edge of the cliff, and his shoulders began to
tremble. My father brought me to this place as a boy. The ice always begins here. It
squeezes out of the rock and then, they say, it spreads . . . until it covers everything.
Marin and Line stood close together, near Palan. Lines fingers grazed Marins palm.
Palan leaned over several inches more. Somewhere down there is the hag, he said.
Years ago, everyone could see herbut then she fell off her block. Now, few
remember.
He took a step back from the cliff and smiled with great contentment, as if recalling a
particularly fond memory. Marin and Line looked down at the water. It seemed no
different than before. Palan often spoke in riddles, in the manner that those of such age
do.
Id like to get closer to that ice, said Line, taking off the coil of rope slung across
his shoulder and pushing up the sleeves of his sweater. His forearms and biceps were tan
and muscled from years of rock climbing.
As you wish, said Palan. But be careful. Ice is much slicker than rock.
Suddenly impatient, Marin and Line said good-bye. As Palan shuffled back to town,
Line set up the rope, tying it securely to a small brass ring jutting from the rock. Marin
and Line had been climbing the cliffs that formed the islands perimeter their entire lives,

and recently, it had been just the two of them. Going off unchaperoned was frowned
upon, but at the moment, the town was too consumed with other matters to pay them any
mind.
Just before beginning, they checked to make sure they were each securely fastened to
the rope. Marin faced Line. She tucked a lock of hair behind his ear so it didnt dangle
over his eyes. You were late, she said, scowling as if she were cross with him.
Only a minute or two, he said. He shook his head so that his hair, once again,
dangled down over his eyes. It wont happen again.
They descended steadily until the ocean spray began to mist their legs. The angle of
the setting sun was too low to reach this area, and it was darker than they expected. Still,
they were able to see the veins of ice very well, and they marveled at how it seemed to
glow.
Line continued down several feet, until ocean spray wet his heavy canvas pants and
his wool sweater. Marin heard him mutter in surprise.
What is it? she called.
Line looked up. Marin was standing comfortably on a tiny ledge two body lengths
above him. The tides turned, he said.
Just now?
She climbed down to get a better look.
Youre right, she said. Look, you can see it. She pointed to a thin band of white
that clung to the cliff wall near their feet.

Line nodded. That dried salt is the high-water mark.

They hugged the cliff wall. After all the anticipation, it was happening. During the
fourteen years of Day, the waters around their island remained at high tide. Then, just
before the sun vanished, the tide reversed itself suddenly and rapidly, rolling out
hundreds of miles and leaving exposed seabed where once there had been crashing
waves. And the sea stayed away until Sunrisesome fourteen years laterwhen it
returned just as fast. The timing of all of this was crucial for the islanders, who migrated
with the tide. Once it turned, they had just a few days to depart.
Do you think anyone else knows? she asked.
I bet the okrana know. Line adjusted his hold on the rock and shivered. The nearby
ice emanated cold with a surprising intensity. We should go.
He was beginning to climb back up when Marin saw something brown and green
poking out of the frothy water.
Line! she called. Her voice was sharp against the muffled thump of the waves.
Line stopped. His foot was jammed into a tiny crevice in the rock, and one of his
fingers curled around a slight nub. He leaned out and looked down, using his free arm
and leg for balance. To Marin, it looked like his finger and foot were glued to the wall.
Marin shook her head. Show-off.
What is it? he asked nonchalantly.
Just come look, said Marin. Her eyes were wide and brimming with excitement.
Theres something in the water.

Line climbed back down to join her on the ledge. He followed her gaze and, over the
next few minutes, they watched a human form emerge from the receding tide. It jutted out
at a strange angle, but still they could tell that it was a statue of a woman. The head was
simply carved, yet her expression was surprisingly intricate. Her mouth was gaping open,
as if she were screaming or expressing great terror. The statue was bigthree or four
times the size of an average person.
Palans hag, whispered Line.
The water level was dropping steadily, and soon they saw her upper torso. The hag
brandished a shield and wore a plain cloak wrapped tightly around a lean, muscular body.
I see writing! Marin called. Thereon the shield!
They waited breathlessly through several waves, until the trough of one large wave
revealed huge block letters that read: THE HOUSES MUST BE WITHOUT STAIN.
Marin tried to suppress an uneasy feeling. The island was littered with old ruins
crumbling foundations, broken pillars, old stone walls. This statue was just another relic
of the islands past. A vestige of former residents. Still, the phrase seemed strangely
relevant. The houses must be without stain. Now that the tide had turned, everyone in
town would be cleaning their homes, preparing to leave. It was an ironclad rulethe last
task before departure.
Why is this statue herein the ocean? Marin asked.
Line said nothing at first. Its curious, he finally replied. It looks very old. He
frowned, then turned to Marin. Im ready to head back. All right?

Whats the matter? Marin asked. The sea left a fine mist on their exposed skin and
hair.
Line smiled, but it was forced. Im just cold, thats all.
Lets go, she said. Line was more her brothers friend than hers, and she still didnt
know him that well. They began ascending the shadowy rock face. Marin was about to
urge Line to climb faster when his foot rolled off the rock. It was shockinghe might
have fallen backward if he didnt have a rope to grab onto. Line was one of the best
climbers in Bliss. Hed never slipped before.
What happened? called Marin.
Ice, said Line, almost as a curse. Its in the crags.
Together they climbed as quickly as they could, back toward the sunlight.