Nancy Beth Lawter

The people of Scerone gathered in the Ring of Challenge. They had come to witness the passing of their beloved Amulet from one Guardian to the next, as well as the fulfilling of the ancient prophecy that would unite the two great powers of their land. But instead, betrayal and subterfuge plunged their world into chaos.
The Amulet, a powerful talisman that holds most of their world’s magic, is sentenced to fifty years of silence, and worse, helplessness. The talisman is secreted away, hidden from the treacherous Queen whose one desire is to claim its powers as her own. For fifty years the power of the Amulet is trapped within the golden walls of its domain, waiting for the time when it can summon the next young woman who will serve as Guardian and wield its power.
Jessica Spencer cannot explain the recurring dream that beckons to her. Every morning the message of the dream is lost, leaving her with an aching desire to fulfill a fate she cannot even remember.
Fifty years later, the people of Scerone gather once again in the Ring of Challenge, hoping to see an end to the reign of terror that began with the silencing of the Amulet.
The High Queen, who desires nothing more than to wield the power herself, the fair-haired child Jessica, who is slowly realizing the fate her dreams have only hinted at, and their Protector and Champion come together to decide the destiny of Scerone.