Bonds of Faith and Blood

The journey begins with a mother's dying light. A calling she can't escape. A darkness she must confront. Ancient magic is waking in response to the stirrings of an equally ancient enemy. When priestess Nirra Calinor receives a dream message from her dying mother, she is thrust into a mission far greater than she could possibly imagine. Deep in the Silverwash Mountains, a forgotten, oracular temple has long lain fallen to corruption. A divine imperative now inherited through her mother's dying missive compels her to bring it back to its original state of Holy Grace. Nirra abandons the sheltered life she knows and unknowingly enters a dangerous world of rising darkness. Accompanying Nirra is Alidar, an eager courier and guide, and Rill, a traumatized youth who carries a brutal and heart-wrenching secret he cannot initially voice. Concurrently, whispered voices within the shadows of Talvanis conspire to unmake creation; a force of malice that inexorably progresses toward that aim with each passing night. Nirra, Alidar, and Rill embark on their journey across the kingdom only to discover they're being hunted-each close brush with death is no accident. Each step leads the unlikely trio deeper toward a mystery tied to an ancient curse, newfound powers, a powerful ally, and a hint of the bloodline their enemies would kill to protect their dark interests. As the first necessary step toward saving the world from devastating ruin, Nirra must reach her goal and complete the task passed on to her through her mother's sacrifice. She and her party are the last, tenuous connection the temple, and thus the world, has for salvation.