Prayer of the Handmaiden — Merry Shannon

When the Goddess Ithyris appoints shy priestess Kadrian to become Her first shaa'din, or holy warrior, in a millennium, everyone is mystified by Her decision -- especially Kade herself. On the battlefields of Mondera, as Kade struggles to defend Ithyria from a dangerous new enemy, she's also brought face-to-face with her greatest personal temptation: the childhood sweetheart who had once nearly kept Kade from her spiritual calling.

Erinda was born into the service of the royal family. Endless household chores and a passion for horses fill her days, but her nights are consumed with hopeless longing for the woman she lost to the temple seven winters ago. Erinda knows Kade will never return to her. After all, what mortal could ever hope to compete with a Goddess?