Ambition

At the beginning of "Crystal Singer", the reader learns along with Killashandra that she has failed to become the star singer she has always wanted to be. Killashandra has worked for ten years toward this goal and learning that she has failed is devastating to her. Killashandra has never thought of being anything else, therefore she finds herself struggling to understand what has happened. When Killashandra meets Carrik, she is adrift, wondering what the purpose of her life is.

Carrik gives Killashandra the impression that being a crystal singer is a very important job, giving him power over others. When Killashandra does a little research and learns that the Heptite Guild is very small and there is good opportunity for her to be a star as a crystal singer, she jumps at the opportunity even though even Carrik himself tries to talk her out of it. Killashandra hears...