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Saoirse knelt with them.
    The dark-skinned woman with the glowing eyes nodded at President Hippolyta and walked towards Saoirse.
    “Rise, child,” said the woman. Her eyes glowed the same color as the lip plates.
    “I am Oshun, goddess of beauty,” she said, “and you are in the office of President Hippolyta of the Amazons.”
    Saoirse wanted to maintain her composure, but found it difficult. Emetor Kain has only prepared me for pleasing a Danna , thought Saoirse. No one has prepared me for this.
    “We have been watching you since the day you were born,” said Oshun, “and we’re so happy to get you here, to this point.”
    There was a brief moment of exhilaration, and then President Hippolyta broke in.
    “Phoebe, you’ve done excellent work. You may reveal yourself, and then be excused,” said President Hippolyta.
    Saoirse’s Danna took off her hat to reveal long, flowing hair and then took off some of her outer clothes to reveal that she was clearly a woman.
    “Good luck, Saoirse,” said Phoebe, and she quickly departed.
    “Now, all sit,” said Hippolyta. “We have much to discuss.”
    Hippolyta nodded at one of Saoirse’s guards, and the guard snapped her fingers. Three women came in with several chairs and soon they were all sitting down.
    “This must all be a shock to you, Saoirse,” said Hippolyta. “Indeed, being ripped from all you’ve ever known, no matter how abominable the situation, is terrifying. However, your previous home was a stain on this earth, and now it is no more.
    “You are one of us. You have been since the day we placed you on that island, knowing full well that your connection to Oshun would serve as a ‘time bomb’ which would eventually destroy the place. Does this make any sense to you?”
    Saoirse couldn’t speak; there was just too much to take in.
    “You’ll understand all of this in time,” said Hippolyta.
    “Am I an Amazon?” asked Saoirse.
    “Not quite; you weren’t born here,” said Hippolyta. “In fact, we know not from where you came. And though you’ll always be linked to the Amazons, your destiny does not lie with us.”
    “Understood,” said Saoirse. “What shall I do to please you?”
    President Hippolyta cast a knowing smile at Oshun.
    “You’ve been trained to be a Hetaera, and unfortunately, this has become part of who you are,” said Oshun, “but your days of servitude are over. You have duties, yes. You have honor, yes. But you must cast aside your desire to please others. You now serve the Amazons, humanity and yourself. You’ll put no stock in the pleasure of a single person, be it Danna or even President Hippolyta.
    “You’ve already done humanity a great service by destroying the concept of the Hetaerae. My connection to you allowed me to place these plates everywhere, and the plates turned the wearers into Aziza .”
    Saoirse had heard of Aziza; they were African fairy creatures with arcane powers. It wasn’t uncommon for them to set fire to an entire island.
    “Indeed,” said President Hipployta, “you’ve done a great thing, but at the expense of your soul. Instead of learning warfare and camaraderie like a girl should, you’ve learned softness and servitude on the Isle of Elysia. It is time for us to make amends.
    “But your training won’t continue here; it cannot. Once again, your destiny lies beyond the Isle of the Amazons.”
    After a pause, Saoirse spoke.
    “President Hippolyta, goddess Oshun, what am I?”
    “We don’t know,” said Oshun. “I sense great power within you, but I don’t quite know what you are.”
    “There is an Academy on Hellenica that’s calling for your kind,” said President Hippolyta. “I think you’ll find your answers there.”
    “An Academy?” asked Saoirse.
    “Yes,” said President Hippolyta. “We’ve inspected it and they’re nothing like your Isle of Elysia. Their goals are noble, and the skills they’ll teach you will surpass anything you can learn here as an