Coralis stayed near the van and gazed at the rising moon. “Young lady, I don’t know where you learned to use Voice, but you are as natural with the gift as I have ever seen—and I’ve seen many. You may not understand this now, but your transformation, however uncomfortable, may turn out to be fortuitous. I think you should stay with Henry at all times from now on.

“As I feared, I was not able to extract all of the evil from the moonbeams that entered your brother. Your talent may be needed again—and soon. So please remain alert for any signs that he might be slipping.”

She fluffed up her fur with pride. “Well, if somebody has to do it, it might as well be me.”

The road twisted and turned. Grandma explained that they were driving through the Hopi Indian reservation as they passed by the village of Old Oraibi. “How long have you lived out here?” Henry asked.

“All my life,” she answered proudly. “Many Navajo children, like your mother, think the grass is greener in the outside world. They leave, but they take their heritage with them. And sometimes they come back.”

“Mom was born here?” the children asked together.

“My goodness. Has she told you children nothing?” She shook her head sadly. “Yes, she was born and raised on the Navajo reservation. But she went to study at the university in Flagstaff. That’s where she met your father.” Her disdain was evident. “I don’t know what came over her. I assumed it was hormones.” She smiled sadly. “Your father was quite the charmer.”

Coralis frowned. “But it wasn’t anything as simple as hormones, was it?”

“No.” Grandma’s back stiffened. “Lois—your mother—has a gift.” Henry glanced at his sister. “Even as a child, she was supernaturally perceptive. It was as if she could sense which way the wind would blow. I don’t think it was an accident that she met your father. I suspect she knew about his Wandmakers’ Guild lineage before he told her about it. But she was surprised when he revealed a dark truth he kept tucked away in his heart. He confessed he felt an unnatural craving for power. She was able to persuade him not to give in to his darker nature. But the temptation would always be there. And she swore never to leave his side.”

“Wow,” Henry said, unsure how to process that information. His parents’ lives were clearly far more complicated than he’d ever imagined.