The Ninth Gift (Paperback)

After his mother's death and his father's disappearance, Cale McHail moves in at his Aunt Ellen and Uncle Frank's house. But one day as Cale is on his way to a baseball game, he comes across his old "invisible friend" playmates, Paffy and Cripps, suddenly made visible. They explain that they need Cale's help on an urgent mission and ask him to accompany him to their home. Although Cale protests, he suddenly finds himself in Glenhope, Paffy and Cripps's homeland, and in a world that he's never seen before. It is there that he learns of EyeStone-a powerful stone that can foresee the future and influence it for good-and of the influential people who wish to use its power for themselves. What's more, Paffy and Cripps believe that Cale may have the power they need to save EyeStone before it's too late. With his former playmates and his new friends Princess Barcelona and the warrior Rockfast at his side, Cale embarks on a quest to reach Balthesmor Castle and save the Eyestone. But to get there, the group must first cross the treacherous desert called Sandwhisper, survive the terrifying Realm of the Four Caves, and face dangerous and fantastical creatures. If Cale survives, he must face the most horrifying obstacle of all-someone from Cale's own past may be the embodiment of the very evil that Cale was sent to Glenhope to destroy.