Book excerpt: A nation's fate rests in the hands of three strangers, thrust together by their common destiny to protect the Phoenix, and their world, from destruction. The Three must learn to unite in spite of what separates them, and unlock the magic of three stones that seem to harm as much as they help. Their journey leads them through unexpected doors. Along the way they encounter a cursed people, a haunting vision, a woman on the run. It all begins and ends with the gift of the Phoenix.