“My sister?” she said, shocked by her mother’s words. ” I have a sister?”

“You had a sister. Her name was Pheone. You both were barely six weeks old when our camp was attacked. I feared for both your lives, so I sent Peter to the highlands with the two of you, but he didn’t make it that far. There was an ambush, and he only had time to hide you inside a hollowed tree. The soldiers took your sister. For years I tried to get a sense of her, but nothing. I believe she’s dead.”

With her mother’s last words, Mailee felt a stinging on her left hand. Her tattoo glowed a bright bluish color. The blue star of Octavia was sending her a message, but she couldn’t comprehend it.

Mailee looked down at her mother’s sweat-ridden face. Just then a truth overcome her. “She’s alive, Mother.”

“No, Mailee, Pheone’s dead. She must be with the Omni. I couldn’t save her, but you…” Aria let out a cough. “You must lead our people now. You must forget about Pheone.”

“I can’t do that, Mother. She’s alive. That’s what I believe, and you believe it, too. If you didn’t then why tell me?”

“I thought you had the right to know.”

“She alive, Mother. I can feel it.”

“Then you must find her. Find her, Mailee.” Aria let out a gasp. “For both of us.”

Tears ran down Mailee’s face realizing her mother was dead. “I will, Mother. I promise.” Mailee covered her mother’s dead body with the lamb’s skin quilt and left the tent. The tribal elders stood in waiting for Mailee to speak. “The high priestess is dead,” she said, a single tear fell from her cheek.

The funeral took place the next day, followed by the ceremony inducting the new high priestess. Mailee felt that she wasn’t ready for the responsibility, but duty came before need. Mailee kept those fears to herself, only confiding those feelings to the great spirit, the Omni.

Here she was only fourteen and the leader of the entire tribe. Peter, an aging man of fifty, who was appointed her bodyguard, placed a crown of flowers on her head. Joy came to her people’s faces, and Mailee felt as though everything would be alright.