At the Hotel Balzaar, Marta's mother rises before the sun, puts on her uniform, and instructs Marta to roam as she will but quietly, invisibly like a little mouse. While her mother cleans rooms, Marta slips down the back staircase to the grand lobby to chat with the bellman, study the painting of an angel's wing over the fireplace, and watch a cat chase a mouse around the face of the grandfather clock, all the while dreaming of the return of her soldier...

That clock can't be right. When Elise wakes up the morning after her birthday celebration, she's surprised to find herself in her bedroom. Last she can remember, she had fallen asleep next to her best friends at her slumber party in her basement, and it was October. But now she's alone, and her phone says it's April 8. Elise doesn't understand. How could she have woken up six months later? No one else is acting like anything strange has happened,...

"Join Izzy as she explores magical portals that lead to hidden worlds!"--Back cover.

Owl, captain of the Knight Watch, is dismissive of Early Bird, an energetic and talkative bird who aspires to be a Knight Owl until her bravery shines through during a wolf attack.