A new hope . . .

The Emperor is dead . . . and Aymara Keeper's world is in peril. If nothing changes, everything on her home planet of Thoslon will die. But the solution could be right within her tavern - a winged child who might be the One to Follow, the Emperor's heir. To stop the ensuing chaos, she'll have to take him to the Emperor's cloud palace to claim what she hopes is his birthright.

Trellor Forge believes that the Emperor's death could herald the return of the Other Time, the years before the Emperor united Thoslon and banished the four warring lords to their mountain castles. To him, this is the time for the people to take control of their lives instead of being imprisoned.

But Trellor has always had Aymara's back, and now he offers his protection to the young boy as well. Only it isn't long before they both discover just how serious - how deadly - the situation has become. Their only hope is the child . . . and each other. But can they keep themselves and their precious cargo safe long enough to do what must be done - save their world?

Award winning author Jo Ann Ferguson lives in Nevada with her husband, children, and a fat cat. She is not sure which is most spoiled.