Book excerpt: Banished to live in the Outland with those ignorant of her healing powers, Raechel Hillsborn, a native of the Len Triahd, can sense the auras, the outlying energies of all living beings. Those who have exiled her did not wish to have Rae reading their thoughts. Her own aunt, the woman most prominent in her life, cannot prevent her banishment. Working with others in the Outland, Rae must face an enemy who uses spirits to infect the minds of citizens in an attempt to dampen individuality, nullify willpower, and ultimately create perfect order within the society. Coming from a civilization that abhors the enslavement of spirit beings, Rae is obliged to help her allies discover who is truly behind the spirit attacks. However, her allies fear her abilities and exert a spell-enhanced influence over their group's members in the interest of protecting society. Rae must find a way to discover her enemies, while fighting through debilitating, powerful headaches. Some of the spirits she communes with are beguiling and, if they have their wish, Rae and her psychic gifts will become a weapon in their powerful arsenal, creating a monster much worse than the one she is fighting.