The Deadly Mask - Oblivion, #1

In a world of masks, the truth is hidden. An Assistant Cartographer for the King of Sedün lives in fear his tainted origins will be discovered. A young Maiden - glamorous with her mask of pearl and delicate briar roses - must marry an old man to save her family. A slave plots to free his people after centuries of enslavement.  The forgotten history resurfaces when invaders attack the Kingdom of Sedün.
Mythical creatures descend on the capital city of Tole'Mer, abducting its people. In the Palace, the Cartographer and the Maiden are the only Sedünen to survive.  Fleeing the chaos, the former slaves use new gifts to defend themselves against the invaders. They save the young Sedünen: asking in return that the Cartographer draw maps to guide them safely out of the city.  The Maiden and the Cartographer continue north alone, finally finding other survivors of their kind, yet hounded ever further into the wilderness.
Until one day they rescue a mighty warrior - who they discover is not human, but a mysterious stone heart.  The warrior reluctantly escorts them to Akreseil Keep, hidden high in the mountains. Their arrival is bittersweet: they have returned to civilisation, yet the Sedünen are refugees in a strange land. And the enemy is coming.  As the Akritai warriors prepare for war, the Sedünen explore the ancient Keep, finally discovering the horrendous truth behind the beautiful masks of Sedün.