The people of Scerone gathered in the Ring of Challenge. They had come to witness the passing of their beloved Amulet from one Guardian to the next, as well as the fulfilling of the ancient prophecy that would unite the two great powers of their land. But instead, betrayal and subterfuge plunged their world into chaos.
The Amulet, (a powerful talisman that holds most of their world’s magic) is sentenced to fifty years of silence, and worse, helplessness. The talisman is secreted away, hidden from the treacherous Queen whose one desire is to claim its powers as her own. For fifty years the power of the Amulet is trapped within the golden walls of its domain, waiting for the time when it can summon the next young woman who will serve as Guardian and wield its power.
Jessica Spencer cannot explain the recurring dream that beckons to her. Every morning the message of the dream is lost leaving her with an aching desire to fulfill a fate she cannot even remember.
Fifty years later, they gather once again in the Ring of Challenge, hoping to see an end to the reign of terror that began with the silencing of the Amulet half a century ago.
The High Queen, who desires nothing more than to weild the power herself, the fair-haired child who is slowly realizing the fate her dreams have only hinted at, their Protector and Champion come together in the Ring of Challenge to once again decide the destiny of the Scerone.
Fair-haired child full of grace
Shall come unto the dark haired race.
Powers divided throughout the land
Shall once again united stand.
Nancy Beth Lawter was born in Ogden, Utah, and raised in Las Vegas, Nevada. As a child, she spent many summers playing in the Utah mountains with her two brothers and four sisters. It was during those glorious summer days that she first imagined the world called Scerone. She loves to write as much as she loves to read. Fantasy is her favorite genre. She has been a full-time mother and wife since she married Merle Lawter in 1983. Nancy has finished the second book in the Magic of Scerone. Look for it to come out Fall 2007. She is currently working on the third book in this series and has plans for a prequel as well.
Tomak was beside Alyssa before she hit the ground. He caught her in his arms, tenderly holding her as he searched for some sign of life.
There was a moment of stunned silence as the soft song of the Amulet that was a constant on the planet of Scerone was extinguished. It was an eerie, unnatural quiet in a world that had grown accustomed to listening for the talisman's song without even knowing they were. The capital city of Scerone stood in complete and utter silence for the measure of two heart beats.
Kira knelt beside Tomak; she smoothed back the dark hair from the face that was still beautiful even in death. Then she reached for the now silent Amulet. Its warmth, its song, like Alyssa’s life, was gone. The large red stone at the center lay quiet and dark, its power trapped within.
Tomak cradled his beloved’s body gently in his arms as he rocked her back and forth. His handsome face twisted from the pain of losing her. He spoke to her, calling her name, begging for forgiveness, promising retribution. The only other noise in the great hall was the soft sound of weeping that carried down from the stands.
Tomak pulled the dagger from the Guardian's lifeless body, then carefully laid his precious burden on the cold stone floor. He stood, and the rage in his face was enough warning for Shaelyn who already had pulled her blue magic about her in a glittering shield.
“Do you have something to say to me, Protector of the dead?” Shaelyn sneered.
The muscles in Tomak's cheeks knotted and unknotted as he tried to marshal his emotions. He could not expect to win any battle if he was out of control. “You will pay for your crimes,” he whispered as he held up the bloody dagger.
“Oh?” Shaelyn asked, sounding not the least bit concerned. “And you will extract the payment from me? You?” She laughed then, laughed out loud at the man before her. “I don't think so.”
Kira was standing now, though Tomak had not seen her rise. She reached out for him, catching his arm and pulling him around to face her. “You cannot possibly defeat her, not now, not without the Amulet, and she knows that. There is no one alive who can offer her any resistance.” Her voice was barely above a whisper, but Shaelyn heard its message and she triumphed in the thrill of truth.
