Chapter One The sun shone brightly upon the beaches of Themyscira, the golden glow shimmering as though Zeus himself had struck the island with a lightning bolt. Diana stood to the side of the dock, arms crossed, watching women from the Scholar community trudge up the plank toward their ship, lugging bronze, copper, and silver trunks behind them. Just across from Diana stood the sea captain, who unfurled her map and scrutinized the coordinates that would lead them--and Diana''s best friend, Sakina--back to their home. Diana swallowed. Just one week earlier, this very ship had unspooled its anchor into the sea alongside other vessels belonging to women from communities around the world: expert strategists, welders, artists, educators, even fellow warriors from distant lands. They''d descended from abroad to celebrate their cultures and share knowledge with one another at the annual Chará festival. During the day, they''d taught and attended classes ranging from pottery to painting to combat. Each evening, they''d laughed and chatted over lavish feasts, goblets of wine, and the steady hum of music and dancing.
At night, Diana and Sakina had taken the Sky Kangas from the royal stables and soared over the island, beyond the looming statues of Aphrodite and Hera and Athena just outside the coliseum walls. They''d plucked the juiciest oranges they could find from Themyscira''s groves and then eaten the sweet fruit while standing on the island''s cliff-lined shores. Last night the girls had climbed onto the palace''s rooftop to gaze at the stars twinkling overhead. It had been the perfect ending to a dramatic week. The festival had started off bumpy--to put it mildly--but matters had improved since Diana''s near-death adventure, which involved an escape from the island of Sáz and a demon who had wished to capture her. She''d not only saved an entire nation on the brink of destruction and woken the Amazons from an endless sleep but also finally convinced her mother to let her train as a warrior. So much had happened, but somehow it had gone by all too quickly. "Finally!" a voice exclaimed.
Sakina was wheeling a steel trunk as she walked toward Diana. She wore a velvet tunic and gold leggings. Her long dark hair was tucked back in a twist. "All packed, huh?" Diana said. "Yep." Sakina set the trunk at her feet. "It was way harder to stuff all my things back in. I had to jump on the trunk to make it shut!" "Maybe because you picked up so many goodies along the way," Diana teased.
"I think--" Suddenly Diana froze. She squinted as a flash of something burst beyond the woods leading toward her palace home. What was that? Diana wondered. She scanned the horizon, her heart beating quickly. It''s nothing, she told herself. You''re spooked these days, that''s all. After what she''d been through, how could she not be? But then the trees rustled in the distance, the branches shaking violently. "Diana, what''s wrong?" Sakina asked.
Diana didn''t reply. Her eyes remained fixed on the swaying tree line. Leaves fluttered to the ground. Diana slid her hand to the sword at her waist. The demon had said someone was hunting for her--and that "he" would find her. Is this it? she wondered. Is he here? Diana took one careful step forward. Then another.
And then-- Arya! Sakina''s snow leopard leapt down from a branch and nimbly planted herself on the ground. Binti, Diana''s wolf friend, emerged from the forest and ran into the clearing, playfully chasing the large cat. A rush of relief flooded through Diana. She loosened her hand from the sword''s hilt and unclenched her jaw. Everything was fine. The animals were friends. They were simply saying goodbye. Diana was safe.
"He''s not here," Sakina said gently. She rested a hand on Diana''s arm. "Right. Of course not," Diana said. She shrugged unconvincingly. "Arya just caught me off guard, that''s all." "That''s why you sleep with a dagger under your pillow like it''s your security blanket?" Sakina raised her eyebrows. "It''s not exactly snuggly.
" Diana blushed. She hadn''t realized that Sakina had noticed. "Fine, maybe it''s on my mind a little bit," she admitted. "I get it." Sakina nodded. "I''m ninety-nine percent sure the demon was making it all up, but I still can''t help looking over my shoulder now and then." The knot of tension in the pit of Diana''s stomach eased. If anyone would understand, it would be Sakina.
They''d gone through the harrowing ordeal that kicked off the Chará festival together. A boy, Augustus, who hailed from the Sáz nation of chariot makers, had found his way to Themyscira, though his presence was forbidden. A gifted potion maker, he''d enchanted the women on the island--guests and warriors alike--into an endless sleep and then begged Diana and Sakina to help him save his people from an evil demon. The demon had hypnotized Augustus''s people and threatened to burn their nation to the ground, all so he could capture Diana for a bounty set by a mysterious "him." It had been the most terrifying ordeal of Diana''s life--but the three of them had made it through. They''d survived booby traps and lava rivers and violent, hypnotized villagers, and together they''d destroyed the demon. But what he''d said in his final moments wouldn''t leave her: He always gets what he wants. The threatening words echoed through her mind.
They haunted her dreams. "Nothing''s happened," Sakina said, as though reading Diana''s thoughts. "The women were woken up by the antidote, and the rest of the week was incident-free." "But Doom''s Doorway . ," Diana added, hesitating. "It shook like an earthquake when we returned. That can''t have been a coincidence." "Even if it wasn''t," Sakina said, "nothing happened, right? The door didn''t open all the way, and the rocks that fell from all the shaking sealed it shut from the outside.
And look around--it''s not like the guards are taking any chances, are they?" Sakina gestured to the warrior women stationed along the island''s edge. The guard posts were often empty in times of peace, but each one was occupied today. The ladies wore white tunics and golden sandals that wrapped to their knees. More than twenty of them stood guard at designated posts around the island. "Hey." Sakina nudged Diana with her elbow. "If you had your pick of anyone to have your back, it would be the Amazons, wouldn''t it?" "For sure." Diana''s shoulders relaxed.
Without the specific coordinates, her nation was, by design, untraceable. And even if someone managed to get around that, no one stood a chance against the women of her kingdom--of that much Diana was certain. "So." She turned to Sakina. "What was your favorite part of the week?" "You mean other than saving a nation from the brink of destruction?" Sakina laughed. "Kind of hard to top that." She thought for a moment. "I''d say welding was definitely my favorite class.
Look at these wheels I added to my trunk!" "I liked the workshop where we tried out rare weapons," Diana said. "Wow, shocker," Sakina replied, rolling her eyes good-naturedly. "It''s true, though. Can you believe they let us actually hold the Rinuni sword? It''s over two thousand years old." "That was cool," Sakina agreed. "And then, well, hanging out with you for a weeklong slumber party. That was definitely great," Diana said. "I am pretty awesome company, aren''t I?" Sakina grinned.
A fluttering in the corner of Diana''s eye caught her attention. The Scholars'' flag--embroidered with a quill and a scroll--had been unfurled and now flapped in the afternoon breeze. "I''m going to miss you." Diana''s smile faded. "Me too," Sakina said. "A once-a-year visit with your best friend just isn''t enough." "Mira''s great about whisking letters back and forth the rest of the time, but it''s not--" "--the same." Sakina shook her head.
"No way." "Yeah," Diana said. "But at least you have friends back home." "What do you mean?" Sakina said. "You have friends. What about Cylinda and Yen?" She pointed to two women in the distance. Cylinda still had a cast on her arm from when she''d guarded Doom''s Doorway. The door had shaken the earth violently and caused rocks to fall onto the warriors stationed for duty.
Yen still had a patch over her bruised eye. "Of course," Diana said. "They''re great." She adored the women of her land--every last one. "It''s just that when you''re the only kid on the entire island, it can get a bit lonely." "Come visit me this year!" Sakina said suddenly. "It''s about time." "Yeah.
" Diana laughed softly. It wouldn''t be the first time she''d try to convince her mother to let her visit her best friend. "Pretty sure we know how that request will go over with my mother." "It''s simple. Take a Sky Kanga. If they can fly into the stratosphere and launch into space, they can definitely get you to my place in no time. Our lands aren''t even that far apart." "You know how overprotective she is.
She''s never been keen on my leaving the island," Diana said. "But you did leave. Earlier this week," Sakina pointed out. "And visiting me won''t involve burning bridges and lava and scary demons." That was true. Diana had proved she could handle herself, hadn''t she? Hope flickered within her. "Sakina!" a voice interrupted. Queen Khadijah--Sakina''s mother--approached them from the docks.
She wore a flowing jade-green gown, and her hair was wrapped in a cream scarf pinned with jewels. "Ready to get going? Once we get this trunk on board, we''ll be all packed." "I can help you carry it to the ship, Sakina," Diana offered. "The dock is super bumpy; anything fragile could break.".