Harvest of Dreams (The Gods' Dream Trilogy) by Debra Holland Page B

SeaGod, during the reign of King Iceros before the invasion.
    Sadie admired the picture although she didn’t like the idea of another “god.” “It’s a beautiful place.”
    The statue seemed to sigh. It was a beautiful place. Perhaps someday it will be so again…if you help.
    “Me? Help?”
    The figure waved her hand, and the image changed. At first glance, the picture looked the same—green castle, green buildings, the odd but lovely lavender sky. But when Sadie looked closer, she saw black stains on many of the walls, and no banners flew on the top of the castle. No people walked along the thoroughfare; weeds grew in cracks in the streets. Some of the buildings were charred and lacked roofs.
    “What happened?”
    The God Ontarem corrupted Thaddis, King of Ocean’s Glory. The King betrayed his long-time ally by conquering the city, killing or enslaving the citizens.
    Sadie couldn’t help but compare both visions. “An evil man.”
    Perhaps , the statue replied in a cryptic tone.
    “What can I do?”
    The Deities of Kimtair war with Ontarem. If we lose, He will have dominion over all of Kimtair. Every soul will become enslaved to Him. He will grow to enormous, unstoppable power. The Goddess hesitated. And perhaps through me, He will find His way to your world as well.
    Sadie didn’t believe in evil gods, but she did believe in evil men and evil forces. Ontarem and Thaddis sounded worse than Hitler and his Nazis. She thought of her grandmother’s stories…of the studying she’d done about WWll and the resistance fighters. A dangerous time, but many brave men and women had single-handedly made a difference. Could she do so here? Do I even want to? But this Ontarem also posed a threat to Earth.
    She faced the statue and squared her shoulders. “Okay. I’ll go.”

 
    CHAPTER EIGHT
     
    Sadie stepped through the portal in Withea’s Shrine into the Temple of Yadarius in Seagem. She found herself in a large open courtyard paved with mosaics of pale green and gold that sparkled in the sun. Pillars of green stone similar to those of the Parthenon in Athens ringed the area. Through the spaces between them, she could see the city spread out below.
    A pool gleamed in the center, square instead of round like in Withea’s shrine, with an empty pedestal in the middle where she assumed the statue of the SeaGod would have stood. Closer inspection revealed a figure submerged in the water, about ten feet deep.
    Sadie knelt by the side of the pool. Following her instincts, she placed her hand over the surface, palm an inch above the water. She moved her hand in a circular motion, and the water cleared. A shudder went through her body.
    Do I have magical powers here, or is Withea working through me?
    She peered into the water. Heavy chains covered the figure, as if they’d been used to topple the statue and then left there to imprison him beneath the surface. When she saw the face, she realized this was the giant man she’d seen in her dream. Yadarius? Yes, it must be . Only this time He stood, trident in his hand, rather than sat on a throne.
    He wants me to help him. But how?
    There was nothing she could do now for Yadarius, so she rose and looked around. Aside from the desecration of the statue, the rest of the temple, which was open to the pale purple sky, looked untouched. Maybe the invaders didn’t want to press their luck.
    The flowers that had grown in rectangular planters had long since withered. Across the courtyard to the right, she could see a wall with an arched window that echoed the shape of the door she’d stepped through to leave the shrine. That must be the window to Zacatlan.
    Sadie looked her fill at the city. Withea had told her to stand at the window and mentally call for the Goddess Guinheld, but she wasn’t ready to leave Seagem without a little exploration. Something about this city—the beauty, the pain still radiating from the silent walls—called to her.
    Parking her suitcase near a