title: Initiate: The Unfinished Song, Book One
author:  Tara Maya 
description: Every story, no matter how outlandish, starts from a kernel of personal experience. I'll tell you what gave me the idea for this story.<br /><br />When I was in high school, I auditioned for the highly prestigious dance and cheer squad. We not only did cheers at football games, but competed in national dance contests. And won. Yes, we kicked butt.<br /><br />Well, except for me. I was diagnosed with scoliosis in my freshman year. My back was so crooked, I had to wear a back brace, or risk living the rest of my life as the Hunchback of Notre Dame. The dance teacher didn't want a hunchback freak on her team, but couldn't throw me out. So she refused to let me perform. Year after year. <br /><br />There are a lot of fantasy stories about a young person with no magic, who, unknown to everyone else, has the magic needed to save the world. I make no apologies for revisiting this theme. Because - really - isn't this an experience we all go through? Aren't we all forced to discover we can - we MUST - make our own magic to save the world?<br /><br />This is the story of a girl who was told over and over, "You can't," who still said, "Yes, I can."
zlib_text: Dedication
  To	Reyann	and	Isah,
  nur	hayati
  
  Epigraph
  There	is	no	greater	agony	than	bearing	an	untold	story	inside	you.
  —Maya	Angelou
  I	write	for	those	women	who	do	not	speak,	for	those	who	do	not	have	a	voice
  because	they	were	so	terrified,	because	we	are	taught	to	respect	fear	more	than
  ourselves.	We’ve	been	taught	that	silence	would	save	us,	but	it	won’t.
  —Audre	Lorde
  
  Contents
  Cover
  Title	Page
  Dedication
  Epigraph
  Prologue
  Isra
  Part	I
  Deya
  Isra
  Deya
  Isra
  Deya
  Isra
  Deya
  Isra
  Part	II
  Fareeda
  Deya
  Isra
  Deya
  Fareeda
  Isra
  Deya
  Isra
  Deya
  Isra
  Deya
  Isra
  
  Deya
  Fareeda
  Isra
  Deya
  Isra
  Fareeda
  Deya
  Fareeda
  Deya
  Fareeda
  Part	III
  Deya
  Isra
  Deya
  Isra
  Fareeda
  Isra
  Fareeda
  Deya
  Fareeda
  Isra
  Deya
  Isra
  Deya
  Fareeda
  Isra
  Deya
  Isra
  Deya
  Isra
  Deya
  Isra
  Acknowledgments
  About	the	Author
  Copyright
  About	the	Publisher
  
  Prologue
  I	was	born	without	a	voice,	one	cold,	overcast	day	in	Brooklyn,	New	York.	No
  one	ever	spoke	of	my	condition.	I	did	not	know	I	was	mute	until	years	later,
  when	I	opened	my	mouth	to	ask