Alura stiffened when she heard the chapel door open behind her. From the doorway, she could hear Reverend Mother Vikta, the temple’s high priestess, chastising whoever had entered the room. There was only a brief exchange of harsh whispers before she heard the rustling of the reverend mother’s robes and the angry clack of her shoes on the stone floor fading away. The intruder began to walk up the aisle between the pews toward the head of the room where Alura was busy praying befo...