Chapter 1

Sunlight filtered through the high library windows. With a huge sigh, Wisah closed the book she’d been reading. Sheekeek looked up. Books littered the table in front of them.

*What’s wrong?* he asked, a talon marking the corner of the book.

Wisah winced, hoping he wasn’t poking a hole in the old manuscript. “Nothing … everything. We’ve been back to the Sanctuary for two lunadars, and all the Supreme has had us do is read these old, moldy books. I thought when Rizelya found that ancient book, and we rushed here with it, there was some urgency.”

*That had been my impression as well.* Sheekeek shook his head feathers, resettling them. *Perhaps the Goddess just needed to keep that book out of the Scourge’s hands.*

Wisah rolled her eyes. “I doubt that was the reason. They couldn’t read it. They, nor the Volkern, could read Posarian. Plus, what little I glimpsed from the cover, I doubt we could read it. It was that old.”

*Even so, they would have destroyed it if they’d found it.*

“That’s true.” She shuddered. She’d seen some truly awful things the alien invaders had done to her people. In some ways, she was very glad to be in the Sanctuary. She pushed her book away from her. She couldn’t read any more about people long dead. The Supreme had authorized Wisah and Sheekeek to read several histories about the Great War. Some had been enlightening, but most were boring.

Fiddling with a pen, she asked, “Do you ever think about that book or what happened that day?”

Sheekeek sighed, put a marker in his book, and sat back on his haunches. *I do. It was strange that the huge sandstorm revealed the temple, and as soon as Rizelya recovered the book, the temple disintegrated.*

“The Goddess wanted it found.” Wisah hesitated. She hadn’t told anyone what had befallen her. But Sheekeek had been called by the Goddess, too. He’d understand. She leaned forward. “It was the first time the Goddess clearly spoke to me.”

Sheekeek pulled back slightly and cocked his head to the side. *I didn’t realize that. I’d had other messages from her. What did she say, if you don’t mind me asking?*

Wisah closed her eyes, letting the incident flow to the top of her consciousness. Slowly, quietly, she recounted the experience to Sheekeek.

Wisah, my child, a voice had whispered to her.

She had sat up straight and had looked all around her, but no one had been near her.

I have need of you, child, the voice said. It wasn’t mind-speech but something else. A loving presence had filled her, and she’d finally realized who was speaking to her—the Goddess! The time has come to reveal what was once hidden. You will help heal my people and bring an ending to those who pervert my gifts, my world. Go find Rizelya. She has what you need. Take it to the Supreme. Go quickly now, before it is lost again.

“I walked through the camp in a daze,” Wisah continued, “to the edge of the Barrens, where I met Rizelya and Glork. Rizelya handed the book to me.” She gazed down at her hands, remembering the sharp jolt of energy that had pulsed from the book when her fingers had touched it. “You found us moments after that.”

*The Goddess had spoken to me,* Sheekeek said, *telling me to find you and take you to the Supreme. Has she told you what was so special about the book?*

Wisah shook her head. “I didn’t have time to tell Jaehaas good-bye or let him know I was leaving.”

*I’m sure Rizelya told him. He’d understand you left because you’d been called by the Goddess.*

“But for what?” Wisah threw her hands in the air. “To read books about ancient history or political plots? I should be back at the front, helping my friends. What do you think is happening at the war?” she asked,

*Fighting.* Sheekeek shrugged and rubbed his beak on his furry shoulder. *The Supreme hasn’t received a messenger from Histrun that I know of, so they must still be fighting.*

“I just can’t help feeling guilty for being here, safe, while they’re fighting for their lives—and our freedom.”

Sheekeek pushed the book Wisah had been reading back toward her. *Right now, all we can do is follow the Supreme’s orders and read these books and scrolls, until she tells us otherwise.*

Wisah sighed, knowing he was right, then picked up the dry history she’d been reading. Even as she tried to concentrate, her mind kept wondering what was so important about the ancient tome Rizelya had found.

Later that night, Wisah sat on her bed, her knees pulled up to her chin, unable to sleep and fighting off her loneliness. She glanced over at the empty bed across the room, the covers just a bit wrinkled where they’d been hastily pulled up. On the shelf over the bed, a small carved sabertiger had been knocked over in Chariel’s rush to leave. Wisah sighed, wishing her friend and roommate was here in the Sanctuary with her, rather than far south, fighting the invaders.

She wiped the tears from her face and blew her nose, admitting to herself who she really missed was Jaehaas. As a White Priestess, she hadn’t ever expected to fall in love, and especially not with a centaur. But sometime during the journey to find the Posairs’ long-lost allies, the Phengriffs, she and Jaehaas had become close. They could never have a normal relationship because of the choice he’d made many years ago to shift into half man, half horse. Once made, the change was irreversible. Jaehaas could never shift back into his fully man form and make love to her, but she didn’t care. She loved him anyway.

Her thoughts returned—as they always seemed to do these days—to the powerful book Rizelya had miraculously found in an ancient temple uncovered by a sandstorm in the middle of the Barrens. As far as Wisah knew, the Supreme hadn’t opened it yet. She wondered why the Supreme was waiting. It had seemed important at the time that the book be quickly brought to the Sanctuary. She, Sheekeek, and the other Phengriffs escorting her had nearly killed themselves to reach the Sanctuary as fast as possible. She hadn’t slept well since then, her sleep disturbed by it calling to her, begging her to open it. She didn’t know why something so old, so powerful, wanted her, a lowly White Priestess.

She scrubbed her face of the tears and stood up to straighten Chariel’s figurine. As she reached for it, power thundered through her, dropping her to her knees.

At last, the Supreme had opened the book!

Throwing on a cloak and shoes, Wisah ran from her room, through the dormitory, and out the door. The nip in the night air made her glad she’d grabbed a cloak. Although it was Ahdar, spring came later to the mountains. Kelar, the largest moon, was nearly full, providing her with enough light to make her way across the cloister grounds and to the temple. She slipped through a side door into a dimly lit corridor. The widely spaced light globes on the walls were turned down low. Few people would be wandering the temple’s halls so late at night, and those would be the occasional Red Guard, patrolling the temple.

Wisah dashed through the temple, skidding to a stop at the doors to the Supreme’s quarters, panting and out of breath from her run. The two Red Guards, veils covering their faces and dressed head to toe in red, crossed their helbraughts in front of the door, blocking Wisah from entering.

“The Supreme gave orders not to be disturbed,” the taller of the two said.

“But I have to see her,” Wisah implored. “It’s important.”

“Is anyone getting killed or is there an attack on the gates?” the shorter guard on the right asked.

Wisah shook her head.

“Then your business with the Supreme can wait until morning. She’s doing work that can’t be disturbed.”

“I know. I have to be in there to help her.”

“She gave no such orders.” The taller guard sighed. “Go back to bed, Wisah. We can’t let you in.”

*Supreme,* Wisah called softly in mind-speech, *I need to talk to you. I need to see the book.*

Wisah waited for an answer. When she didn’t receive one, she spun on her heel, intending to go back to her room, but the strong presence of the Goddess stopped her. She had to stay here; she didn’t know why. The energy of the book seeped through the door and caressed her skin like a lover. She rubbed her arms and paced the hallway to relieve the sensation. Finally it ceased, and Wisah guessed the Supreme had finished reading the book. She tried again to contact the Supreme using mind-speech, but when she still didn’t receive an answer, she thought maybe a shield had been put up to block any such types of communication.

When the Red Guards changed a few octars into her vigil, she tried wheedling her way past the new ones. But they were just as obnoxiously efficient as the first two and wouldn’t let her in. Throughout the long night, she paced the hallway in front of the Supreme’s door, or sat slumped against the wall waiting for the Supreme to let her in.